Secrets of a Lost Past
by Battleangel911
Summary: For Rayne-Marie, the loneliness haunted her as she walked the halls of Portland High School.  She believed she was cursed until she met Heather Morris.  However, becoming friends with Heather will force her to face her greatest fears.
1. Chapter 1: The Lonely Girl

Author's Note: This idea came to me after finishing my first fanfiction with Heather from SH3. This is another story involving Heather, told from another's point of view. I'm working hard to do a good job on Heather's character and describing the eerie environments of Silent Hill. Please comment and let me know how I can improve the story.

Thanks.

Disclaimer: Silent Hill is owned by Konami.

Chapter 1: The Lonely Girl

It was on the day of Monday, September 4th when Rayne-Marie Cramer entered Portland High School for her Junior year. The last two years at this school were filled with defeating jeers and taunts from her peers, why should this year be any different? Also, having ordinary brown hair and eyes didn't help her make a long lasting impression on anyone.

Being lost in her thoughts, she bumped into someone. This particular girl was someone she knew since childhood. Her classmate spun around, her long wavy blonde hair stuck together with the large amount of hairspray. With her cold blue eyes, she stared down at Rayne-Marie.

"Excuse you! Do you have a problem with walking straight?" she tossed out the insult.

Rayne-Marie kept her eyes down as she shook her head. Continuing quickly down the hall, the socially awkward girl made her way to her homeroom. Actually, she felt embarrassed. That girl she pumped into, Sherrie Cook was still at odds with her, and had been since fifth grade. The girls used to be good friend, in fact Rayne-Marie had many friend before attending middle school. What happened? Rayne-Marie barely remembered. Maybe it was best that way.

When the session for the day was over, the students forced their way out of the school. As Rayne-Marie pushed her way through the crowded hallways, there was a lot of commotion from the other side of assembling students. Swarms of teenagers flocked to the shouting of two female students. Rayne-Marie was able to peer through two boys standing side by side to see the same girl she bumped into earlier, Sherrie, taunting another girl she didn't recognize. Her short blonde hair lay lazily on her head. Her fashion sense was different, wearing a white vest with a green skirt touching a few inches above her knees, along with brown high boots.

"Get out of my face!" the new girl shouted.

"Oh, don't be that way," Sherrie innocently returned. "I'm just trying to understand how you can still come to this school, you know after being diagnosed as "crazy," and knowing your father sleeps with whores."

The new girl shoved Sherrie hard into the wall.

"How dare you talk about my father like that! You stupid bitch!" she screamed.

Rayne-Marie moved around the two boys to see the fight more clearly. Just as she did, Vice Principal Mc Lane broke in between the girls.

"Stop this right now!" she exerted her authority. The tall gray haired woman stared daggers at the girl in the vest.

"So, what is your problem this time?" she tore at the girl.

"You're seriously going to blame this on me? I feel insulted! I didn't start this!"

"You know what? I don't want to hear it! Let's go!" Mrs. Mc Lane herded the new girl into the office. There was a lull of any communication from the students. The woman turned around, "I don't know why you all are standing around. Go home!" As she moved into the office shutting the door, everyone dispersed from the hallway. Rayne-Marie gazed sadly at the door to the main office for a moment. That poor girl. Why was she only being punished? Maybe she shouldn't have pushed Sherrie, but she did say something really bad about the other girl and her father. After a moment, Rayne-Marie turned and exited the building.

One week passed and the teacher now eased out of beginning of the school year mode and stared pouring on the work. During second hour, Rayne-Marie received a pass to go see her counselor. It was pretty ambiguous for the reason for her visit. She walked into the counselor's office, seeing one of the secretaries at her desk.

"Um...I'm supposed to see my counselor," Rayne-Marie said giving the lady the pass.

"Okay, I'll let her know you're here. Just have a seat." The girl sat in one of the uncomfortable plastic chairs. Looking across from her, she saw the same girl from earlier that week. Strange enough, she wore the exact same outfit she had on previously. But now, Rayne-Marie could see the orange wrist bands the girl wore. The urge came over Rayne-Marie to want to start of conversation with this girl. Just say hi. Her thoughts coaxed her. But she couldn't open her mouth to form the words. Maybe she could do something to get her attention and then start of conversation. She tossed her schedule towards where the other girl sat. The piece of paper slowly glided down to the floor. But the new girl didn't notice. She seemed preoccupied with her phone.

"Um...excuse me..." Rayne-Marie tried. "Can you get that for me?"

The girl looked up, "What?" she asked, then she looked down at the slip. Quickly, the girl picked up the paper and handed it back to Rayne-Marie before returning to her phone. That didn't go as planned. Maybe she needed to be more direct. However, she didn't get the chance as she was called by the secretary. The woman directed her to one of the back offices. Rayne-Marie cautiously walked into the small office and took a seat across from her counselor. The heavy set woman with a fifties style hair do busied herself typing on the computer. She didn't speak a word to Rayne-Marie for what seemed an uncomfortable amount of time to her. Finally, the woman gave attention to her. Taking Rayne-Marie's schedule, she aggressively scribbled something almost illegible on it.

"You're first and second hour are being switched," she spoke curtly. The words appeared to read, Transfer-Overflow.

"What does this mean?" she asked the woman. But no response was received. Instead, she returned to her computer.

"You can go now," the woman said.

Feeling an awkward confusion, Rayne-Marie headed for the exit. As she left the office, she noticed that the girl in the vest already left.

The next day, Rayne-Marie walked to her new first hour. Before, she had History first hour, now she started the day with English. The classroom already was full of students either standing or sitting on their desks gossiping. She took a seat in the third row. Looking around the room, there were a lot of people she didn't know by name. Her eyes turned to at least one familiar person, the blonde who wore the vest, only today, she wore a shirt with strange symbols on the back. The girl sat diagonally from her. She looked busy, writing in her notebook. As she watched, the big hair, crude mouth Sherrie danced over with two other girls Rayne-Marie also remembered, Eileen and Kylee.

"Hey freak! Are you writing more suicide poems? Just do it and get it over with!" Sherrie smeared. In response to the taunt, the girl twisted around abruptly, stabbing Sherrie's hand with her pencil. Crying out, she retorted, "The hell? You crazy skank!"

"You're lucky it wasn't my knife!" the other girl grumbled.

The teacher waked in oddly enough after the drama. Sherrie rushed over to the woman who seemed dumbfounded that something just happened.

"Ms. Summers, look at what she did!" Sherrie complained.

The short curly brunette inspected her student's wound, the punctured skin mark from a pencil stab.

"How did...?" she began to ask. Sherrie pointed to the short hair blonde still writing. Ms. Summers walked over to her desk. Kneeling down, she sweetly looked at the girl and tapped her desk. But she never looked up at the teacher.

"Heather...are you having a bad day again?" The girl didn't answer. "Would it help seeing Dr. Brandson?"

"No!" Heather shot back. "I don't need to see him..."

Ms. Summers whispered something to the girl. Her patience was admirable, especially since everyone else coming into contact with that girl had a raging fit. The teacher's coaxing seemed to work as the girl got up and collected her belongings. There was dead silence as the girl left.

After class, Rayne-Marie slowly approached Ms. Summer's desk where she sorted through a huge stack of papers.

"Ms...uh...Summers..." she stumbled trying to get over the shyness of addressing a teacher. The woman looked up. Rayne-Marie handed her the changed schedule. She was supposed to do this at the beginning of class, but...

"Oh, okay, you just transferred into my class. Rayne-Marie," she read the name. "Yep, English 11, first hour. Did you have any questions?"

"I...wondered about the girl you talked to...the one that left at the beginning of class..." Ms. Summers more expected a question relating to class material, not of another student. She glanced oddly at Rayne-Marie with a half open mouth as if searching for the words to say.

"Uh...are you talking about Heather Morris?" she asked.

"Is she...really crazy?" Rayne-Marie risked asking. The woman stood up carefully formulating what she should say. "Um...Heather is really a unique girl...she's a wonderful writer. I don't think she's crazy. She just needs a friend. Maybe if you see her in the hall, you can say 'hi' to her." Rayne-Marie nodded, but to tell the truth, Heather kind of scared her a little.

"Okay," she shyly answered.

Later that day, as Rayne-Marie walked to her fifth hour, she saw Heather waking quickly down the hallway towards the main office. After passing the office door, she burst into a half run towards the double doors leading out of the school. Why is she leaving now? School is still in session. Maybe she's sick? Rayne-Marie tried to catch up with her. She was ten feet away from the exit doors as Heather already pushed open the door on the far left side. She rushed outside to where a four door sedan waited for her. The car drove off as she closed the door. As Rayne-Marie stood watching the car disappear into traffic, she really hoped for a chance to talk to Heather. But she had to be braver next time. Just say hi to her! Is that so hard? She chastised herself with thoughts. But it was hard. The biggest reason it was so hard plagued Rayne-Marie. There was something very disturbing about Heather. It wasn't just her over the top actions of shoving Sherrie or stabbing her with the pencil. It was the fact that Rayne-Marie realized that Heather did exactly what she wanted to do to Sherrie for years.


	2. Chapter 2: Fears with Sadness

**Author's Note: I hope everyone who read my story is enjoying it so far. After getting some feedback, I made some changes to the end of the chapter. Let me know what you think. I would like to thank 90 for the inspiration and words.**

Chapter 2: Fears with Sadness

One week passed since Rayne-Marie saw Heather in school. Today, she didn't feel like eating lunch. She became a recluse, sitting alone in the corner of the cafeteria. Nearing the end of lunch period, she walked towards the girls' bathroom. She entered the restroom as a foreign smell invaded her nostrils. She walked into one of the empty stalls and tended to her own business. When she was done, her curiosity annoyed her and she thought she heard a sound coming from the stall next to her. Getting up on the toilet seat, Rayne-Marie peered over the side to see that Heather from first hour smoking a cigarette. The girl seemed sly, keeping her feet up on the door so no one would know she was there. She took a few puffs on the rolled up paper before flushing it. Heather walked out of the stall after that. Rayne-Marie begrudgingly made herself forget about washing her hands and followed Heather out of the girls' room.

Heather made her way around the crowds of students and around the corner towards the main office. Rayne-Marie kept on her. Suddenly, Heather halted any movement, making Rayne-Marie abruptly stop herself.

"Why are you following me?" Heather asked aggressively while still being turned away.

"Oh...I...uh..." Rayne-Marie had no idea how to respond. "You're in my first hour..."

Heather turned around eyeing Rayne-Marie wearily. "Yeah..."

"Um, how do you like it?" she asked hoping her attempts to make conversation were well received.

Heather shrugged. "I like the writing part, but its part of school..." Rayne-Marie really didn't know what that meant. She was about to ask something else, but the bell rang, stopping her with her mouth partially open.

"Ladies! Get to class!" They saw Mrs. Mc Lane shouting at them from the opposite end of the hallway. _Geez! What is with her! The bell just rang! It's not like they were talking minutes after._

"Well, I'll see you in class," Heather called over her shoulder while walking away.

The next morning, there was a happier feeling floating inside Rayne-Marie as she walked to first hour. Heather sat in her usual seat by the window writing away. Rayne-Marie wondered what she wrote about? She supposed it was none of her business, but she was still curious. As she walked farther inside the classroom, she wearily looked behind her at Sherrie sitting with Eileen and Kylee. Maybe she finally learned her lesson to leave Heather alone. She turned back, keeping her focus on the desk next to Heather. Taking her seat she felt her pulse race realizing she was taking a forward step by assuming that Heather even wanted Rayne-Marie to sit by her. Heather never looked up anyways.

Ms. Summers pranced into the room in her typical fun loving fashion. She always had that, 'I love to teach' look on her face. "Hey everyone! I'm excited today! After all of that text translating you had to do for Hamlet, today we're going to start the project." Most of the students stared blankly at her while the rest busied themselves with something that had nothing to do with the class. "So, we are going to partner up, you choose, and you will pick a scene from Hamlet that the two or three of you will act out.

"We're acting this out in front of the class?" one boy asked, his voice indicated that he would rather sleep.

"Yep. And I have the grading rubric that will tell you exactly how you will be graded. Ms. Summers was jovial as she handed out the pink sheets of paper with a grated design. Rayne-Marie looked at the sheet, seeing the categories at the top: **Voice, Characterization, Impression, Props, Presentation. **Each topic headline had boxes under it with an explanation and on the left column were numbered points and grades. Of course getting an A meant doing everything in great detail while an E was doing barely anything. As students paired up, Rayne-Marie glanced shortly at Heather who didn't budge. Before Rayne-Marie could speak, Ms. Summers walked over.

"Oh! I think it is wonderful you two girls are doing this project together!" Heather looked up at her teacher quizzically. "What?" she asked. It would be pretty clear to anyone studying her, that Heather wasn't paying any attention to anything that just happened in this classroom.

"Oh..." Rayne-Marie could only say. She didn't ask Heather yet.

"So, you two are together, here, pick a slip," the bright-eyed teacher shoved a foam cup in Rayne-Marie's face. Slowly, the shy girl picked a thin slip and unfolded it. "Which scene is it?" The woman's enthusiasm seemed to belong more on the football field.

"Uh, Hamlet confronts his mother about marrying his uncle after his father's death."

Oh! Good one!" Ms. Summers remarked.

After class, Rayne-Marie wanted to talk to Heather about the project. It was due in one week. But Heather dashed out of the classroom right when class ended. Now she was lost in the crowd. It wasn't until after the final bell rang for school's dismissal that Rayne-Marie saw Heather exiting the building. She rushed after the girl trying to intercept her before she got into the black sedan.

"Hey!" Rayne-Marie actually made a bold action. Heather turned around with a hint of irritation on her face. But she didn't say anything as Rayne-Marie ran up to her.

"I...I meant to tell you before you walked out of English. When do you want to start working on the project?"

Heather returned her a solemn glance. "I'm not doing the project," she said plainly. Rayne-Marie had no idea what to say to that. As the girls stood there in awkward silence, the man driving the vehicle bent over to look at them.

"Hey Heather, who's your friend?" he called.

"I..." Heather didn't speak. She looked flustered, her checks were bright red, Rayne-Marie noticed.

"I'm working with her on a project," Rayne-Marie said to the man. But when she looked at Heather's icy stare, she realized she made a mistake by talking.

"A project?" he asked.

"It's nothing Dad," Heather said strongly. "I have to go," she said opening the passenger said door. She got into the car without a second glance at Rayne-Marie. As the car drove off, she felt her stomach tightening up. Maybe she was wrong. Heather didn't seem to want to be her friend. No one wanted to be her friend...

Approaching night time, Rayne-Marie barely said a word to her mother before going upstairs to sleep. The loneliness brought her down to an ultimate low after today. She felt like she might have made a new friend. That's what Ms. Summers said, Heather needed a friend. As she crawled into bed, her thoughts were on Heather. That girl is always by herself. She doesn't seem to want much to do with anyone. Good thing she didn't notice Rayne-Marie in the bathroom watching her smoke. It was fine. Rayne-Marie would never tell.

As Rayne-Marie drifted into a deep sleep tossing with a sluggish groan, sudden visions flash at the beat of her heart. She couldn't make out the images for they were unfamiliar to her. A beat down town that once seemed as a friendly community, now surrounded by boarded up buildings, empty tavern's with broken windows, abandon homes and vehicles being covered by falling snow. But was it really snow?  
>Rayne-Marie's heart started to pound as the visions grew dark, leading to a pitch black narrow hallway where a wheel chair lay on its side.<p>

"Where am I?" Her voice echoed in loneliness. In response, the wheel slowly cranked. Rayne-Marie's legs trembled as her eyes set upon a somber figure standing dead still in the hall. _Who…who is that?_ She wondered. The figure slowly started towards Rayne-Marie. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't move.

"What the hell? What is this? Why can't I move?" Fear and panic took over Rayne-Marie as her heart ticks, almost ready to put out, tears of fright rolls down her cheeks as she struggles to break free. Suddenly as she gazed at a recognizable person with a familiar face covered in blood, her short black hair was plastered to her head. Her outfit struck a memory as Rayne-Marie saw the white vest and green skirt.

"Heather?" For a moment she felt relief, "oh thank God it's you. What happened to you?" Dead silence. Heather leered darkly into Rayne's eyes. Rayne-Marie laughed nervously. "Hey c'mon don't joke like that, you're freaking me out". Rayne-Marie felt her stomach drop and a horrific vibe of paranoia. "Heather, say some-" before Rayne-Marie could finish she let out a loud cry and fell to the floor. Heather's form punctured Rayne-Marie with a hunting knife. Grasping at her stomach she rose one of her hand up and eyes widened to the sight of her blood. Her nerves were shot and her vision blurred. Rayne-Marie looked up at the devilish Heather, "why?" she said in a weak tone. Gagging out blood, Heathers form kneeled down and patted Rayne-Marie on the head, stood up then slowly turned and walked away. As Rayne-Marie watched Heather, a loud siren blared from the distance before her vision went black.

Rayne-Marie woke up on the floor, gasping for air. Her pulse slowed down when she realized she was only dreaming. No…more of a nightmare. She turned and looked up at her clock radio to see it read 3:50am. "That dream…it felt like forever, and it felt so real too." Afraid to fall back asleep Rayne-Marie looked for something to occupy her thoughts. The night drifted on until dawn broke and it was time for the school to start. As she got ready for the day, her mind was stuck, repeating the dark figure of Heather.


	3. Chapter 3: The Class Project

**Author's Note: This chapter was re-written as well. I had this idea I need to maybe create more of a relationship between Rayne-Marie and Heather before dumping them in the dark, decaying world. So, the previous chapter 3 is now chapter 4 and this is the new chapter 3, (I hope that makes sense). **

Chapter 3: The Class Project

Rayne-Marie was so tired that she really didn't pay much attention to what she put on that day or doing anything with her hair. She ignored random shouts of other students criticizing her choice in clothing.

"Who the hell would walk around looking like that?"

"Her hair looks like a dog chewed on it!"

She was too disoriented to offer a defense. Not that it would matter. She entered her first hour almost dropping her books. She rushed over to the open desk next to Heather, spilling her English book and her journal onto desk. Amazingly, Heather looked over at her. Rayne-Marie's optimism rose as she met the other girl's eyes.

"Don't freak out. I found out we're having a 'free day.'" She turned back to her notebook.

"Hey…" Rayne-Marie thought about the disturbing dream from the previous night. She really wanted to talk to Heather about it, but how would she respond? But instead, Heather turned to her. "That's an interesting outfit, a pink turtle neck with bright green stretch pants. You need to save that outfit for 'mix up day' during spirit week."

"Good one Heather!" Someone shouted from the back of the room. The girls turned to see Sherrie sitting on her desk looking coolly at them. "And she can use that ragged hair look on 'dress like a scrub day.'" She turned back to Eileen and Kylee who let out their smirks.

"I don't think I was addressing you," Heather shot back crudely.

Well, the moment was gone now. Rayne-Marie was never fast enough to begin a conversation with anyone. But was Heather joking or being serious about the outfit? She really wasn't paying attention when she grabbed her clothes this morning. And what the hell? Wasn't Sherrie against Heather? Why did she suddenly support her insult…if it was an insult?

Ms. Summers strolled in as the bell rang. Her demeanor was a little different today. Usually, she was calm and smiling, but today, she looked flustered.

"Hi everyone. Uh, I'm going to take attendance and during that time, I'd like you to journal on uh…" She quickly walked to the board and scribbled the word _Revenge_, then turned around. "Is revenge ever justified? Why or why not? Take five minutes to write down your thoughts." Right after her explanation, she rushed to her computer.

Is revenge ever justified? Rayne-Marie thought about the topic. How in the world would she know? It's not like she's ever felt a need for revenge. Slowly she raised her hand. Ms. Summers busied herself at the computer taking the toll for the hour.

"Ms Summers…" her small voice came through the silence. The woman looked up at her pupil.

"Yes, Rayne-Mare?"

"I've never felt vengeance before. How do I know…"

"Just write down whether you agree with it or not. Would you take revenge on someone who wronged you? And say why?" She went back to her computer.

Five minutes went by fast. Rayne-Marie only wrote down three sentences.

_No, revenge is not justified because no one ever did anything bad to me. So, I don't see the point of it. I want to be friends with everyone._ That really sucked! She knew she could do better, but she couldn't think straight. Ms. Summers now looked more together as she stood in front of her students.

"Okay, so I had you write about revenge because it's one of our major themes in Hamlet, right?" No one really responded as she went on without an answer anyways. "So, who would like to share?" At first no one raised their hand. The teacher rolled her eyes, "Come on, I know you guys wrote something interesting down." Still no one budged. "Fine, you get 5 pts extra credit if you share." Even with the incentive, students still stared blankly at her. As they sat in silence, a hand slowly raised. Ms. Summers looked like she would fall over as the person who volunteered was Heather.

"Oh, Heather, you want to share?" Her voice screeched with the familiar enthusiasm it usually carried. Heather slowly nodded. She looked down at her notebook.

"Is revenge ever justified? I say, 'no.' My dad always says that revenge is filled with hatred and having hatred drive you is letting your soul slip away. I personally never had a reason for revenge. Trust me, I know there are many people who hate me, but it doesn't matter. I have my dad and that's all I need. I don't know what I would do if something happened to him, but there's no worry there. He's the strongest man in the world, or so he says. But I won't ever seek revenge, I won't let my soul slip away." She looked up now. Ms. Summers nodded.

"Anyone else?"

Sherrie suddenly stood up. "I'll share." Ms. Summers nodded to her.

"Is revenge ever justified? Yes! Because people just can't go around doing whatever they please and not pay the consequences!" Rayne-Marie felt a chill run through her as Sherrie shot her a glare. "Someone wronged me when I was in sixth grade and I'll never forget! I'll never forget what they did! Just like Hamlet wanting revenge for his father's death. I wish to avenge someone as well." She sat down and the deafening silence was almost painful.

"Uh, thank you Sherrie…" Ms. Summers' voice actually shook as she spoke. "Maybe, one more…" A boy in the front row raised his hand. "Daniel…you want to share?" She sounded nervous now. The boy with the messy brown hair in the hoody nodded with a wide smile.

"Revenge is a dish best served cold…" He spoke over-dramatically. Other students rolled their eyes and snickered. But Rayne-Marie felt frozen. Why did Sherrie look at her like that? Sixth grade….that was the last time she and Sherrie were friends. But she didn't do anything to Sherrie, if anything, Sherrie stabbed her in the back!

"So, is revenge ever justified?" She came back to reality in time to her Daniel's ending. "Well, that is up to whoever feels it." He stopped.

"Uh, thank you Daniel, but I wanted to know if you personally thought revenge is justified. I know why Hamlet thinks it's justified," Ms Summers explained.

"I have no idea," he smiled big. "I'll have to see how I feel if someone murders my father." Ms. Summers nodded slowly.

"Okay, let's move on. Turn in your journals and get together with whoever you're doing your project with." Rayne-Marie knew she was doing her project with Heather. But Heather said that she wasn't doing it. Should she tell Ms. Summers? Before she acted, Heather turned to her. "I'm glad we're doing this in class. If my dad finds out I'm doing a school project on Hamlet, he'll take over and do everything for me!" she whispered. So, that is why she acted that way. So, Heather wasn't upset with her at all.

Ms. Summers let the students work on their own. Heather led Rayne-Marie into the back room where it was just the two of them. "Okay, so I looked over the script we're supposed to act out," Heather began. "I wondered if I could be Hamlet, I really like his character."

Rayne-Marie nodded, "Yeah, that's fine. So I'm Gertrude?"

"Right, Hamlet's mom," Heather agreed.

Rayne-Marie still had the dream on her mind, but what exactly would se say about it? It was too weird to describe. Besides, they did have an assignment to work on and she didn't want to get in trouble for talking about something off topic. She bit her tongue as Heather started the dialogue, "Mother, thou hast my father must offended… oh wait, I'm sorry, you're supposed to start with Gertrude's line first." Rayne-Marie swallowed hard before she spoke. As she stuttered out her lines, she noticed how Heather read with emotion and conviction. She must have practiced.

After going though the script, the girls had to write up their character's profile. There were ten questions each student had to answer about their character. Rayne-Marie read the first question.

_Name_. Well that was easy, she was doing Gertrude. Second question: _personality traits._ Let's see, she's in denial over Claudius, Hamlet's uncle taking over after the death of King Hamlet…uh Hamlet's dad. She doesn't have much of a personality, she's really aloof. Uh question three: _What is her motivation for her actions?_ Now her head started to hurt. Honestly, she could do this at home, but there was still 30 minutes left of class. She looked at Heather who quickly wrote down her answers. She made it look so easy. Then again, she was doing Hamlet, his character was so interesting and he is the main character so the class analyzed him the most. It didn't matter, Rayne-Marie could care less about any of it!

"Heather…I need to tell you something…" she started sheepishly. Heather looked up at her. Before Rayne-Marie answered, Daniel poked his head in with the same goofy smile. "Hello, I have a message for Heather Morrison, a message for Heather…Heather?" Heather grabbed the pass to shut the moron up.

"Thanks," she said with her teeth grinding. The boy went away and Heather started gathering her things. "I guess I get to talk to Mrs. Mc Lane again," she said begrudgingly.

"Oh, is there something wrong?" Rayne-Marie asked innocently. Heather's eyes became dark…the feeling from the dream came back. "That woman is insufferable!" she said in a low tone. "She doesn't want me back in this school after what happened last year." She got up and walked through the classroom to the hallway. Rayne-Marie felt the frustration rise. Maybe it was best she didn't talk about the dream. It obviously was a manifestation of all the crazy things going on around her lately. And Heather was in it because Rayne-Marie really wanted to be her friend, but she thought at first that Heather didn't like her so her mind formed that scary version of Heather who killed her with a knife. Heather did threaten Sherrie with a knife, sort of. She mentioned she had one. Yeah, it was just a meaningless dream.

When Rayne-Marie fell asleep later that night, her mind was still on Heather, but now it was hopeful. They were working on the project and maybe they would become better friends. Her mind focused on the friendly Heather as she drifted off into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4: The Childrens' Maze

Chapter 4: The Children's Maze

When Rayne-Marie opened her eyes, she found a very different interior than what she expected. _What...? Where am I? This isn't my bedroom..._

Rayne-Marie awoke on a cold hard floor. The foreign noise tormenting her ears never ceased. Her eyes adjusted to something big in the shadows. That loud, obnoxious sound came from that. Stumbling through darkness, Rayne-Marie found a light switch on the wall. Flipping the switch upwards, the room was engulfed in bright light. The thing making the rumbling sound was a furnace. A furnace... Where the hell was she? Then she noticed the lead pipe leaning against the wall by the door. Something prompted her to take it. What would she need an old rusted pipe for? However, her intuition said take it. She did so and opened the door to enter a very creepy basement. Cobwebs covered the walls and huge clumps of dirt covered the floor. She moved towards some stairs.

_This is a dream._ She told herself. _It's only a dream. You'll wake up soon. _As she cautiously rose up the steps, she heard loud screeching atop the stairs. She arrived on the first floor. Peering around the corner, she saw something that would haunt her nightmares no matter how old she grew. Their human-like bodies appeared small like children, but their dark grayish exteriors suggested something demonic. Even more frightening, they noticed her and headed straight for her. They attacked strange enough by hugging her. But the hug was like having a huge metal clamp squish your insides. Rayne-Marie put all her energy into pushing the demon creature off her. Intuition never failed her. She held the pipe above her head and swung down on its head. She continued pummeling the creature until it fell. The second one came at her now, but she reacted before it touched her. Taking the pipe and swinging it like a baseball bat, the fiend took many hits before it fell lifeless to the ground. Rayne-Marie kicked at the creatures to make sure they wouldn't move. Since they remained corpses, she was able to breathe. She gasped for air in the stale environment. Looking around the dark hallway, her fears grew as she knew she would have to explore this dungeon to find a way out.

Panic attacked Rayne-Marie every chance it got. How was it even possible for something like this to happen? _It's just a dream. You know this isn't real._ Her logical mind told her. _But why does it feel so real? _Her rational side asked. There were doors to the right and left of her in this hallway. Should she really bother walking in unfamiliar rooms? She just needed to leave the building. Rushing through the double doors to her right, she found another hallway. Her feet crunched on something as she walked to the first door she came to at the left. The door opened into a room with crowded shelves, a storage room maybe. Seeing nothing but blackness, how would she find anything? Well, it did seem pointless to look in a storage room anyways. She walked further down the hall. Another pair of double doors led her outside. Screeches and cries greeted her and she spun around to go back through the doors. However, they didn't budge. She rammed her shoulder into the door until it hurt, but they stood strong like a brick wall. Turning fearfully around, she saw more child like demons dancing towards her with their arms out. Grasping the pipe, Rayne-Marie swung viciously at the small beings until they lay motionless at her feet. For a moment, she could breathe. As she walked down the steps onto the sidewalk, something soft fell on her. She looked up into the pitch black sky to see small flakes floating down to the ground. Snow maybe? She held out her hand to catch a snow flake only to see a dark substance. It looked like ash...like from a burning fire. This place was so weird it was horrifying. Why the hell would ash be falling from the sky? She raced across the courtyard to the doors on the other side. There was a clock tower in the corner set at the time 5:00. On the other side, she forced the doors open to find herself in the other part of this building. Across from her was another set of doors. It looked like the way out of this place. She was overjoyed, running to the doors. But the feeling faded as pushing on them did nothing. They were locked? Seeing it more closely the doors were had a padlock on them. She wanted to get out of there so badly. But also, looking at the outside, a black hole with ash falling from above, she realized how much more horror may be out there. She was trapped in this nightmare either way. From within Rayne-Marie a deep groan of frustration emerged. Where should she go now?

It was hard to decipher much in this dark maze, but Rayne-Marie tried moving to the end of the hall where she found a reception desk. There was a list of teacher's names and lots of folders on the desk. Nothing really interesting. Wait...what's this? On the list of teachers someone scribbled something in the side margin. De ja vu struck as the writing reminded her of the writing from the counselor she visited last week in school. But she definitely could not make out this writing. It most likely wasn't that important anyways. She continued through the next set of doors to come across another staircase. Going up the dark stairs really wasn't making her that enthusiastic. She still forced herself to climb step after step until she reached the next floor. The chilling sound of screeches came from the long dark hallway ahead. Rayne-Marie dashed into the first door on her immediate right. Silence swallowed her as she stood inside a classroom. Now she realized where she was...a school. Looking at the chalkboard with simple grammar sentences and many colorful pictures of children's drawings, she determined she was in an elementary school. The American flag stood in the corner and the teacher's desk was clean except for one sheet of paper. The musty smell of this place started to get to her as she started a chain of sneezes. Breathing in now, she looked down at the note.

_To: Mr. Laurence,_

_ Please forgive me for writing to you again. Things have taken a turn for the worse for poor Alessa. Last time I talked to you about her mother possibly abusing her and all of this weird ritual stuff from the religion of which she participates. Well, she came to school today with burn marks on her arms and legs. Also, the other children continue to call her a witch. I can only keep the other kids off her while she is in this classroom, but when she leaves...I just am so scared for her because of how other faculty treats her. I feel you are the only one I can trust with this matter. Please, if you are willing to meet with me, I'll bring Alessa too and we can discuss what action we should take._

_Sincerely,_

_K. Gordon. _

Rayne-Marie had no clue what to make of this letter. It really didn't concern her. But, this teacher who wrote this...was an actual person. So where is this person now? Where are any people now? Suddenly, there was a noise outside the room. Rayne-Marie got under one of the tables by the wall, holding the pipe close. But no one came into the room. From where she was, she saw one of the desks had a bunch of crap stuck under it. Not surprising, many students choose to stick things, especially gum under their desk. She crawled over and looked more closely to see a key stuck there. Her efforts to pull this key off were futile. She pulled herself back to her feet just as the classroom door opened. Rayne-Marie spun around gripping the pipe, ready to attack.

However, a big wave of relief overtook her as she saw a real person! Not only that, but this particular person looked very familiar.

"W-What?" The other girl jumped into a defensive position holding out a pocket knife. "Who are you?" she yelled. Rayne-Marie looked over the girl wearing the white vest.

"Heather?' she asked. The girl stared daggers at Rayne-Marie.

"How do you know my name?" she demanded.

Was Rayne-Marie really that forgettable? They just met and talked yesterday.

"Um, we're in English class together. I'm Rayne-Marie," she said gulping back her fears.

Heather didn't take her suspicion off of Rayne-Marie. "Okay. Why are you here?"

Rayne-Marie didn't know where to start. "I'm not sure how I got here. I went to sleep as usual and woke up in the furnace room down in the basement of this place. There are these strange monsters and...I found this key under this desk, but I can't get it." Rayne-Marie felt her speech was a bit scattered, but so much was happening all at once. Heather finally stopped looking at her as if she were mental and looked under the desk at the key. She tried using her knife to pry it off, but it was really stuck. Pulling herself back up, she looked earnestly at Rayne-Marie.

"I can't get it." She walked towards the door and Rayne-Marie hurried to stay with her.

"How did you get here?" Rayne-Marie asked. Heather let out a sigh of aggravation.

"Pretty much the same way you did. I fell asleep at home and woke up in this place. I actually woke up in the classroom we were just in but I started looking for the exit."

"It's locked," Rayne-Marie informed her.

Heather shot her a sideways glance. "Is that key supposed to unlock the doors out of this place?" There was no certain answer. That key could be for any room in this place. Or it may not even belong to any doors here.

Through a set of doors, the girls found the bathrooms. This part of the hallway was surprisingly well lit. The door to the boys' room was covered in grime and dirt, but the door to the girl's room was completely clean. It may mean that girls are much cleaner than boys or... Heather turned the knob to the girl's room. It sort of surprised Rayne-Marie how bold Heather was walking in there. As if it were an every day thing.

Inside the restroom, the floors were spotless and so were the mirrors. It was a drastic difference than the rest of the building.

"At least the janitor got this room, right?" Rayne-Marie tried to joke, but her voice shook. Heather didn't respond, rather she looked into each of the stalls. One of them wouldn't open. She looked under the door, but saw no one.

"This is a waste of time!" she tossed out harshly. Heather walked past Rayne-Marie, but stopped short of the door. She spun around, "did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Rayne-Marie inquired.

Heather pushed past her and moved towards the closed stall. "Someone's crying."

Rayne-Marie's eyes grew wide. "Someone's crying?" She certainly didn't hear it. It was deadly silent in here right now. Heather turned to her companion, her face was pale and very fearful. "Let's get out of here!" She ran straight for the door pushing it open..

Continuing down the dark hallway, the path went though more double doors to another hallway. The door to the room next to them was wide open. Rayne-Marie felt along the wall for any type of switch but there wasn't one. Suddenly, Heather pulled on a chain above and the light bulb flashed on. "That's weird. Some rooms in this place have working lights, some don't," she remarked. Rayne-Marie nodded. She then looked at the shelves where there were many bottles of chemicals. one of the bottles was rubbing alcohol.

"Hey! Maybe this stuff will work!" she said to Heather.

'Work for what?" she asked.

"Remember that key? this stuff should get it off, right?"

Heather shrugged. "I guess we can try it." They got back to the classroom without a problem. Rayne-Marie thought it was strange that second floor didn't contain any of those child-like demons. Well, best not to provoke anything. They were just trying to find a way out.

Heather started dabbing around the key with the cotton balls she found in that room along with the rubbing alcohol. It took a few moments, but she was finally able to take the key off. 'I still don't know where this key goes?" she said. Rayne-Marie noticed something written on the board that may be helpful. _Library: 10:00_

"Is there a library in this school?" Then she felt like that was a stupid question. All schools had libraries..

"You think this goes to the library?" Heather asked. She started walking back out into the hallway and Rayne-Marie followed. But this time when they entered the other hallway they were met with a group of those demon children.

"Those things again!" Rayne-Marie cried. Heather took out her knife and watched wearily as two of the creatures approached. Rayne-Marie had the pipe ready as well. But before she could act, Heather stabbed at one of the children until it fell. With added adrenaline, Rayne-Marie rushed at the other one swinging viciously. When the fiend fell, she waited for the other one to approached. It came at the two girls stretching out it's long deformed gray arms. Rayne-Marie swung down on it making it fall to the floor. There was a tiny bit of relief before it started moving back to its feet. Heather quickly stabbed it in the head, causing it to cry out. It still tried to reach for the girls. It's cries of pain penetrated their ears. Finally, Heather stabbed it once again making it fall for the last time. She breathed heavily. "Any more of those things?"

Rayne-Marie studied the area. "I think we're good."

The key indeed opened the library. Inside were shelves of books and on the check out desk was a children's story. The title was called, 'The Little Princess.' There was a bookmark placed on one of the paper. Rayne-Marie opened the book to that page and found a picture of this weird monster and the text on the page next to it. The monster itself was a bird like creature with thick claws.

_The princess could not deny that this was the monster that terrorized her people. She was told by the Wizard that she had powers to stop it. But she did not know how to use those powers yet. "How can I stop this thing?" she asked. _

_ "Use the power of faith and love," the Wizard answered simply._

_She still did not understand. But maybe she had one last person she could see to find out._

Rayne-Marie stopped reading. "I've never read this story before."

"I have." Heather said and then covered her mouth as if she let something slip.

"What? Really? Where did you read..."

"Never mind, I was joking. I've never heard of something so ridiculous in my life! Dr. Seuss makes more sense!" She turned away and started walking towards the back of the library. Rayne-Marie followed but as she walked, she felt strange...lighter somehow. Sirens blasted around them. Somehow they sounded as if they were far away, but surrounded them at the same time. There was this feeling she was floating away, higher and higher, and then...

Rayne-Marie suddenly awoke in her bed. Her eyes darted around the room as if expecting to see that terrible slimy place she was just in. But it was her bedroom.

"So, it was just a dream?" she asked out loud. "It seemed so real. And Heather was there. Well, I'm glad it was just a dream. I couldn't imagine a place like that really existing."


	5. Chapter 5: Unexpected

Author's note: Hello, I edited this chapter because I realized I made some basic grammatical errors, plus I spelled Sherrie's name wrong! Sorry about that. Everything is fixed now.

Chapter 5: Unexpected

As Rayne-Marie walked towards the classroom for first hour, Heather suddenly blocked her path.

"Hey! Come with me to the bathroom," she more demanded than requested.

"But we'll be late for class," Rayne-Marie protested.

"One time isn't going to hurt you. If anything, we'll just tell Ms. Summers we were working on our project."

Rayne-Marie sensed the urgency in Heather's voice. On normal circumstances, she would never purposely be late to a class, but she dreamed about Heather a second time and that strange, dark world too. Heather may think she's crazy, but she had to say something.

The bell rang as they walked into the girl's room at the end of the hall. Yeah, they definitively would be late. The two girls were the only ones in the bathroom. Heather leaned against one of the sinks.

"So…I had the weirdest dream ever. You were in it," she began.

Rayne-Marie's eyes opened wide. "…yeah, I had a strange dream too. I've actually had two strange dreams with you in them." Heather bit down on her lip; her eyes withdrawn. Suddenly, she pounded her fist against the wall tile. Rayne-Marie stared wide eyed at Heather as she didn't flinch at all from pain.

"You know, I have just had it! Why is my life falling apart?" She slumped down to the floor holding her head in her hands. Rayne Marie bent down and actually looked into her eyes. "Heather…I really don't know what you've been through…and I know it's none of my business, but…"

"No!" Heather lashed out suddenly. "It's not your business," Heather stated firmly as she climbed to her feet.

Rayne-Marie backed away, suddenly intimidated as her eyes locked on Heather. Taking a deep breath, she tried to speak.

"You don't have to hide anything from me, Heather." Rayne-Marie received a peculiar glare from Heather. Her hardened eyes indicated to Rayne-Marie that she didn't believe her, which really hurt right now. Hesitantly, she added, "Didn't you want to tell me something?"

Heather pulled something out of her pocket. Looking at it closely, Rayne-Marie saw it was a pack of cigarettes. "I'm smoking one before going to class, but you should go on ahead of me." Rayne-Marie stared wide-eyed in disbelief. "And I can trust you not to say anything about me smoking in the bathroom, right?"

Rayne-Marie felt tears coming to her eyes. Why did Heather insist she go to the bathroom with her? She planned on telling her something, she knew it!

"No, I won't say anything," Rayne-Marie pushed out. After that, she left the bathroom feeling awkward. What was the point of that?

Rayne-Marie rushed into the classroom as everyone, including Ms. Summers turned to her with piercing stares.

"Oh, you are here today, Rayne-Marie. Have you seen Heather?" her teacher asked. Rayne-Marie let out a heavy sigh. "No, I haven't seen her today," she lied.

"Okay. Do you have a pass?"

Rayne-Marie shrunk back. "No."

"Oh, well you're over five minutes late. You know the school rule, you need a pass to first hour after five minutes. You'll be marked absent for the day if you don't get a pass from the office."

"Oh…right." Rayne-Marie turned away, moving towards the door.

"Rayne-Marie, wait, I need to give you a pass to the office." She sheepishly turned her eyes to her teacher.

After receiving the pass, Rayne-Marie slowly walked out of the classroom feeling a mental pain taking over. There were so many questions she had for Heather and her head hurt just thinking about the place they were in the dream. If she could even call it that. As far as she was concerned, the feeling of being there was very real.

About forty-five minutes later, the bell rang and first hour was over. Heather never showed up! So, she skipped. Rayne-Marie grasped her head as it pounded from all the stress. Suddenly, a shadow covered the high florescent lights. Rayne-Marie looked up. Sherrie grinned down at her.

"I see you're hanging out with Heather Morris now." Sherrie bent over so her face was an inch from Rayne-Marie. She chomped down on spearmint gum giving her fresh minty breath.

"S-so what?" Rayne-Marie asked defensively.

"So, you'd better be careful. She has a bad reputation. I wouldn't want you to get a bad rep…other than you already being a cheating liar."

Rayne-Marie looked past Sherrie. Ms. Summers was no longer in the classroom. In fact, she and Sherrie were the only ones left there. Rayne-Marie leaned back to give herself some breathing room. Interesting how Sherrie accused her of dishonesty when she chewed gum in class, which wasn't allowed.

"Look…I don't know why you're upset with me, but…"

Sherrie slapped the desk with her hands. "Don't act so innocent! You know what you did! You can't be that stupid Rayne! Or you think I'm stupid! I've known you since fifth grade! The year you made absolutely miserable for me!"

Rayne-Marie jolted up from her chair. She grabbed her backpack and bolted from the room.

After that encounter, Rayne-Marie kept her eyes focused straight ahead. She went through the rest of the day until the wonderful sound of the final bell rang. Rayne-Marie rushed towards the exit wishing that she didn't have to return tomorrow. But of course, she had to come back and repeat the same insanity over again.

Rayne-Marie crossed the street, walking quickly; two strides for each piece of sidewalk.

"Hey!" The voice called. It sounded distant, coming from all side of her. Rayne-Marie spun around as Heather raced towards her.

"Hi…why didn't you show up for first hour?" Rayne-Marie asked Heather.

Heather stood there breathing heavy for a moment.

"I'm sorry. I did have something to tell you earlier, but…well, let's just say it wasn't the right time or place."

Rayne-Marie eyed Heather suspiciously. "Okay…"

"That dream we had…it wasn't the first time I saw that place. I think I've dreamed about it before…and it's really bothering me because I think…" Heather stopped as if her voice was cut out of her throat.

"It was scary. I know."

"I…think I've been there before…for real…"

Rayne-Marie shook her head. "I don't understand."

Heather grabbed her head. "My head really hurts. I need to call my dad, but the battery on my phone is dead."

Rayne-Marie let a smile loose. "You can use the phone at my house," she offered.

Heather nodded, letting out a smile herself. "Sounds good."


	6. Chapter 6: The Path of the Hermit

Chapter 6: The Path of the Hermit

Rayne-Marie opened the front door to her house and stepped inside with Heather following behind her. Instantly, Heather looked around the eloquent foyer with octagon tiles and classy chandelier above.

"Wow! I didn't expect this!" she said with amazement. Her eyes fell onto Rayne-Marie who made a grimace. "Sorry, I live in a small two bedroom apartment with my father."

"Oh…I lived her with my parents until they divorced. My dad moved out…I'm not sure where he is now…" Rayne-Marie said slowly.

"Oh really…" heather trailed off. She sensed the turmoil in Rayne-Marie. "Um…so if I could use your phone?" She tried to change an uncomfortable topic.

Rayne-Marie walked into the kitchen where she grabbed the wireless phone off the wall. Heather stepped into the large kitchen. Her eyes didn't go to the phone, but to the open space, the clean white floors, the hi-tech microwave above an electric stove, the island counter in the middle of the room and the connecting breakfast nook with a glass table. After taking all that in, Heather focused on the white receiver pushed in front of her face. She took it, dialing her number.

"Hey Dad, it's me! Yeah, my phone went dead, so I'm calling you from my friend's house." Rayne-Marie watched, as the phone conversation turned to the other person speaking. "Okay," Heather said into the phone. She looked up at Rayne-Marie,

"What's your address?"

"Oh, it's 30200 Madison Dr."

Heather repeated the address and said a few "uh-huhs" before hanging up.

"Yeah, he'll be here soon," she told Rayne-Marie. She nodded hesitantly. "So, I like your house," Heather tried to make conversation. Rayne-Marie turned her eyes down.

"Yeah…my mom makes a living as realtor. She's doing really well…"

"Hey, you don't have to feel embarrassed. I don't think you're a snob or anything. I'm just am impressed."

Rayne-Marie looked up. "How did you know that's what I felt?

Heather shrugged. "It's pretty obvious."

"Really?" Rayne-Marie asked.

"Don't be freaked out. It's nothing. Some people think I'm psychic, but that's not the case."

Rayne-Marie moved into the next room, a spacious living room with a big entertainment center and a long white leather coach across from it. Heather followed, but stopped again taking in the sight. Rayne-Marie stood between the coach and the coffee table, keeping her head down.

"Um…there's something I've been wondering. Uh…how long have you had problem with Sherrie?"

Heather pressed her lips together, her eyes hardened.

"Since she lied about something I did. It's also the reason Mc Lane won't leave me alone."

"Can I know…"?

"Look, if you want to know what happened, just ask!" Heather spoke sternly. Rayne-Marie looked up at her, her mouth and eyes frozen in fear.

"I'm sorry…It's none of my business, I…"

"My first day in that school as a freshman, she acted like my friend. But as soon as I opened up to her, she started telling everyone my secrets." Heather paused, her face flushed. "One of them being… I let my guard down and I told her about the nightmares I had as a child. She started telling people about them and then added that I was crazy."

"What were the dreams about?" Rayne-Marie pushed further.

Heather breathed out. "That's something I won't talk about. I'm sorry, but…it's too personal."

"I see."

Lauren Cramer pushed open the front door with an exasperated sigh. The forty-year-old woman, who currently appeared ten years older than she actually was, heaved her heavy satchel into the living room and let it plop onto the floor. She moved towards the kitchen, her short, curly brown hair plastered to her sweaty face. Rayne-Marie turned her eyes sheepishly onto the woman.

"Uh…hi mom. Uh…this is Heather…from school…" Lauren fixed her weary eyes onto Heather.

"Wow! A real person. I'm impressed!" She nodded to Heather. "Hi, I'm Lauren. And right now, I need a shower." She made her way through the kitchen towards the stairs. Heather glanced at Rayne-Marie, narrowing her eyes with a strange half smile.

"I thought you said your mom was a realtor. She looks like she just ran a marathon."

"She…uh really works hard," Rayne-Marie responded. Her cheeks were still red with embarrassment for her mother's disheveled appearance. "Uh, so…do you want something to drink?" Rayne-Marie tried her best hostess impression.

"No, I'm fine. I just want my dad to get here."

Rayne-Marie turned her eyes down. Heather didn't seem too interested in conversation, or maybe she was being too boring?

"Uh…Hey! Were you there at lunch today when Mr. Baits dragged out that one boy for swearing at the lunch lady? I mean, that teacher does not take crap from any student, right?"

Heather's eyes narrowly focused on Rayne-Marie with an icy stare.

"That was Tommy Cartland. He's one of the only really honest people in that school."

"Oh, you know him?"

Heather turned towards her with a deadly stare, crossing her arms. "Yeah. Both him and I have the same problem in that school. The Jocks were making fun of him and he told the assholes off! That bitchy lunch lady decided to blame him for the trouble. Tommy was just standing up for himself."

Rayne-Marie felt her stomach drop after Heather's verbal attack. "I…I'm sorry…I was just making conver…"

A knock at the door interrupted her.

"Finally! That has to be him!" Heather hurried to the door and opened it. Her dad stood there with a smile shrugging his shoulders. "Sorry, it took me so long. All of these "rich homes" look alike to me. His eyes studied his daughter. Her lips were pushed down so tight that he could see the veins in her eyes.

"You just want to get out of here, don't you?"

Heather gave a nod. Her father sighed. "Okay."

Rayne-Marie watched Heather walk out the front door without saying goodbye. Heather snubbed her again! Why did she have such a hard time making friends?

The next day, Rayne-Marie walked into first hour, ready to give Heather a piece of her mind. But, she was surprised by someone else, Eileen.

"Hey, uh, Sherrie wants to talk to you.  
>"I don't want to talk to her!" Rayne-Marie spat out. "I don't know what her problem is! I don't know what anyone's problem is in this school!" She pushed past Eileen walking towards her seat. Eileen followed her. As Rayne-Marie turned with a death stare, she noticed Eileen's eyes turned down.<p>

"This is important. This might mean your life. You know Heather…well…something is wrong with her. She…I really wish you would just talk to Sherrie."

"But Sherrie hates me," Rayne-Marie crudely informed her.

"No, she doesn't. She just wants you to tell everyone the truth, that's all."

"The truth about what?" Rayne-Marie practically screeched. Heather walked into class at that moment. "I have someone I need to talk to." As Rayne-Marie moved towards Heather, she felt Eileen pull her back.

"She's not who she says she is. She's a demon." Rayne-Marie turned away from Eileen's whisper in total frustration. Ignoring Eileen, Rayne-Marie walked right up to Heather who fixed a hard glance on her. Before Rayne-Marie had a chance to open her mouth, Heather drew back her fist and punched Rayne right across the face. The last thing she saw was the colors of the room spinning before she blacked out.

The room spun as Rayne-Marie opened her eyes. She found herself on top of a soft bed. The colors of the room were all shades of brown and gold; even the bedspread matched those colors. It definitely was not her taste.

"Where am I? I was just at school…what…?" Rayne-Marie turned to the nightstand next to the bed. Switching on the lamp she saw a book sitting there. It lay open to a specific page. She picked it up and started to read.

_ The princess traveled a long way to another land much different than her own. This land frightened her, as it was dark and the sun never shined. The horses pulling the carriage stopped at the entrance into this new land and would not go any further. The princess had to travel by foot. She moved through the thick mist until she found a church. There, she would find the one she sought for the answer to her dilemma. _

Rayne-Marie stopped reading as the rest of the pages were blank.

"This continued that same story Heather and I found in that school library." Then her heart sank as she thought of Heather. "I just…wanted to be her friend. But I've been cursed to not have any friends since…" Rayne-Marie let out an aggravated sigh. "Who am I even talking to?" Getting out of the bed, she took in her new surroundings. Everything appeared to be very old as dust lined every piece of wood furniture. She moved on into the bathroom. She didn't need to use it, which she thought was strange. She was the type to use the restroom as least five times while at school. Looking into the mirror, she didn't see much of a reflection. That was how old this place was; the mirror lost its shine. Rayne-Marie made her way to the door. Slowly, she put her hand on the grime covered doorknob. Turning the knob she was met with a thick fog covering every inch she saw.

"I really don't want to go out there." She turned back towards the dark room. "But I don't want to stay here either." Her feet glided down the sidewalk to the entrance where there was a sign reading _Jack's Inn._ Turning to the right, she saw the motel office. The door was open. Rayne-Marie walked into the dimly lit room. The overhead light flickered, giving off the buzzing sound of the florescent light. Ahead of her was the station for the desk clerk. No one was there. However, there was a bell to ring for service. Paranoia and fear filled swallowed her up inside. Would someone really answer if she rang that bell? Would she want someone to answer? Lifting her hand, she gave the bell a few short rings. Waiting for a moment, no one came. She rang the bell again. Each _ding_ resonated loudly in her ears. She turned away from the desk. Something moved from behind the desk and she quickly spun around. There wasn't a person there, but something new was on the counter that wasn't there before, a handgun and bullets. Her eyes stared at the firearm for a moment. It didn't make sense for it to be in the office of a motel. Then again, depending on where the motel was located, the owner may feel safer with a few self-defense weapons.

Rayne-Marie slowly moved her hand for the gun. She picked it up as if it would explode if she grabbed it the wrong way. "I've never used a gun before in my life!" she wailed. "I can't do this!" But something made her turn the gun so she could check the chamber. It was fully loaded. There were three boxes of bullets. How would she carry all of them? On a coat rack beside the door was a backpack. She checked it to find it empty. Opening up the bag, she stuffed the bullets inside. Then something made a sound behind her. She turned to see something else on the counter, a map.

"Who keeps doing that?" There wouldn't be an answer. Grabbing the map, Rayne-Marie checked where there were red marks. The church was circled and so was the bus stop.

"I guess I have to take the bus there?"

Returning outside, the fog engulfed Rayne-Marie. Her eyes turned to the map and then out at the open road. First of all, it was impossible to see anything. Second, Rayne-Marie was terrible at reading maps. Even if the fog cleared, she still wouldn't be able to find her way. She forced herself to step forward, moving down the road. The map was in one hand and the gun in the other. There was one street that led to the bus stop, but Rayne-Marie could barely read the street signs. She couldn't tell what street she was currently on. She turned down the street she thought the map directed her.

Out of nowhere, someone rammed her, sending Rayne-Marie to the hard cement. She looked up to see something resembling a girl, but her skin was pasty, and her long stringy hair covered her face. The face was not visible, just a bunch of knotted up hair. The creature screeched as it came at Rayne-Marie with sharp nails. It grabbed her and shook her. Rayne-Marie struggled to get out of the fiend's grip. She moved the barrel of the gun to the creature's temple and squeezed the trigger. The loud blast shocked Rayne-Marie so much that she cried out. The creature dropped to the ground, convulsing. She kicked at it to stop the shaking. Breathing heavily, Rayne-Marie tried to pull the hair away from the thing's face, but it looked like there was only more hair. She shook her head as if trying to make sense, but the more she looked at the vile fiend, the more she felt sick. So, she moved on.

Many shops were on this street, but they were boarded up and dark inside. She reached the corner where there was a gas station. It also appeared lifeless. The map showed the gas station on the corner of where she was supposed to turn. She really prayed she was going in the right direction. Rayne-Marie continued down the next street. Screams and screeching came from further down the street. She stopped. She survived that last attack, but she felt like her heart would give out if more of those things were around. Down a ways, she saw two shadows roaming the area. Her heart jumped into her throat as she ducked behind some barrels at the beginning of the alleyway. Up ahead, the two shadows became more visible as more of the same creatures. It was so strange that they appeared like a teenage girl, having the body and the hair, but those things weren't human as far as she was concerned. According to the map, the bus stop was just up ahead at the next street crossing. Rayne-Marie took too much time to decide what to do as one of the fiends moved her way. It spotted her! Quickly, Rayne-Marie aimed the gun, but she hesitated to shoot. The fiend screeched as it rushed at her, jumping onto her and pushing her into the brick alley wall. Rayne-Marie had to fight to get her hand with the gun up to the fiend's head. But instead of shooting it, she swung and hit the fiend over the head. It sputtered, twitching its head. Rayne-Marie aimed again and pulled the trigger. The blast didn't scare her as much this time, but her hands shook terribly. The creature was stunned, but hadn't fallen. Rayne pulled the trigger again. Bullets flew. The creature fell, convulsing like the last one. Rayne-Marie moved down the road where the other fiend hobbled around. She took a braver approach and shot at the creature before it even noticed her. Bullets hit the fiend more in the body then the head, but it fell just the same way.

The bus stop was straight ahead. Rayne-Marie ran for it and didn't stop until she reached the corner. There was a sign for the bus stop and the actual bus. However, the public bus appeared rusted and didn't seem to have moved in some time. She slowly walked up the steps with caution. She was the only one on the bus; there wasn't even a driver. How was this bus supposed to take her to the church? She sat down in an empty seat. The adrenaline rush subsided and she tired from the rush over here.

As Rayne-Marie sat there, she felt a sudden jolt. The bus took off! She peered around the seat. There wasn't a driver! But how…? Her eyes went from the vacant driver seat to all the graffiti and ripped posters covering the inside of the bus. One particular poster caught her eye, a poster for the upcoming play showing at the local theater. The title of the play was very familiar. Hamlet. She had about enough of that stupid play from school. It was Shakespeare. No one understood that crap! But somehow, seeing the poster for the exact play she studied in English on a haunted bus in a haunted town was very unsettling. There was something scribbled on the poster in red writing. _Do you think revenge can ever be justified?_ Wasn't that the same question the class had to write about in their journal about the other day? What did she write in response to the question? Nothing. She wrote two sentences and stopped because she couldn't think of an answer. Mrs. Summers wrote in her journal that she needed to write more and let her feelings out. She should have wrote how she wanted people to like her again as they did back at her old elementary school. But Sherrie ruined everything! Rayne-Marie used to have friends! She used to be popular! She used to have a mom that talked to her! A dad that talked to her! A dad that was still around! He left! He just…

The bus suddenly came to a screeching halt. Rayne-Marie started walking to the front of the bus. She stepped down to the road. In front of her was St. Maria Catholic Church. Rayne never went to church growing up. Her parents didn't feel it was important, she supposed. The atmosphere felt a little dry. The fog wasn't as heavy over in this area.

Inside the church, Rayne-Marie saw exactly what she expected, rows of pews, an altar and the crucifix on the wall. She was alone. Why didn't this town have any people? Did the monsters run the town? No, that's silly. Could someone even imagine monsters running the town, running the police station, driving around in squad cars? Okay, she had to stop now. She was actually making herself laugh a little bit.

As Rayne-Marie walked up to the altar, she noticed another book. The earlier story continued.

_The princess entered the church. But she was alone. What about her problem? She had to defeat the monster and no one was there to tell her how. Maybe the Wizard didn't know as much as he proclaimed. Or was this all a trap? Was she now stuck in the new land? But why? What purpose would the Wizard have to trap her there? The princess started to panic, thinking about her people she left unguarded. She thought quickly about what she should do. She should just go back home, but now she couldn't get out of the land she was trapped inside. _

"This story is messing with my head! I couldn't have come all this way for nothing!" Rayne-Marie noticed a door to the left of the altar was slightly ajar. She peeked inside to see a small room with a bed inside. She walked inside and shut the door, locking it. The bed was the only thing in this room. It looked so inviting. She lay down, her head finding the comfort of the pillow, her eyes closing…

"Hey! What's going on?"

"Get out of the way! Get to class all of you!"

"What the hell did you do?"  
>"Shut up and mind your damn business!"<p>

"Excuse me young lady! Who do you think you're talking to?"

Rayne-Marie opened her eyes. She lay on the cold tile floor of the classroom. The vice principal was standing a foot away yelling at Heather who just put her hand up in response. Mrs. Mc Lane started pushing Heather towards the door.

"Get your hands off me! I can walk by myself!" Heather growled. She walked out of the classroom through a truckload of students in the hallway.

"I said get to class!" Mac Lane bellowed at the students. "I'm giving a week's detention to anyone not in their correct classroom in the next five minutes!" Student started clearing the hallway. Rayne-Marie turned red as she noticed every student in class had their eyes on her. Slowly, she got up and sat in her seat. Ms. Summers walked over.

"Rayne-Marie, I think you should go to the nurse."

She turned to her teacher as if the woman were a stranger to her. Then she spoke in a dreamy state,

"Ms. Summers, I think I want to change my answer for the journal question we did a few days ago. I think revenge IS justified."


	7. Chapter 7: True Friends

Chapter 7: True Friends

Rayne-Marie sat in the nurse's office while an overweight woman gave her an ice pack to hold on the imprint left from Heather's fist. She really didn't need it. The time she spent out cold was all she needed. She didn't even feel any pain. If only she could bandage up Rayne's mental bruises.

"You're all set," the woman stated impassively. As Rayne-Marie left the room, her thoughts started fuming. _God, every adult in the frickin' school was useless! There was a whole building full of mean and vicious people and all the adults ever do is scream at everyone telling them to work harder!_ Rayne was at her wits end with everything! Then she saw Heather walking out of Mrs. Mc Lane's office.

"Hey! Wait, just a minute!" she cried out. Heather stopped and turned. Her eyes narrowed.

"What do you want?"

"What do I want? How about you apologizing for starters! For hitting me and for being rude to me at my house!"

Heather turned away. "I never asked for you to start talking to me. Why aren't you afraid of me like everyone else?"

"Who's afraid of you?"

Heather turned back with a stone cold stare. "Are you really this clueless? How is it that you missed all the rumors and badmouthing about me? Everyone knows that I'm a messed up bitch!" Tears formed in Heather's eyes. "Why are you trying so hard to be my friend? Are you trying to screw with me?" Heather was shouting at the top of her lungs now. Rayne-Marie shook her head, tears forming in her eyes just like Heather's.

"I just wanted to meet someone who is real. Like you, Heather. You're real. I'm tired of fake people!"

Heather stared at her for a moment. "Well, I'm leaving the school, because I'm suspended for a week."

"Okay, well, I'm leaving the school because…I don't want to be here right now."

The girls walked towards the front doors and out of their day prison. Rayne-Marie felt the dark depression leave as she traveled further away from the school.

"I'm sorry." Heather said suddenly. "I'm sorry I hit you. I should have talked to you first before believing what Sherrie said."

"What did she say?" Rayne asked.

"That you were pretending to be my friend so you could get my secrets. I shouldn't have believed her. Sherrie can make all the jokes she wants that I'm into you, but she'll never understand who I am."

Rayne-Marie became silent, contemplated those words. She had no idea how to respond so she switched topics.

"I didn't mean anything against Tommy when I said…"

"I know you didn't. I wasn't mad at you yesterday for what you said. I was mad because, well, he's getting expelled from school. It's stupid, but just like me; Mc Lane has her issues with him. Every time Jock assholes start shit with him, he's always stood up to them and its led to them fighting. Well, one day Tommy brought a knife to school to protect himself. It was found on him, so by school rules, he can't attend there anymore."

"Okay, but you know that bringing a weapon to school is really against the rules, right?

"Rayne let me tell you something. It is every American's civil right to protect themselves. Owning a gun is in our constitution. However, when you're a kid still in high school, you don't get those rights for some reason. Your rights don't exist. I sit in Government class listening to how we all have equal rights in this country, but we don't. And hey, those Jocks have rich parents who get their way all the time, but poor kids like Tommy and I…well no one cares what we think."

"Is that why you…"

"Don't be so suspicious. I'm not talking about you."

Rayne-Marie's mouth was still open in mid-sentence. It seemed like Heather read her thoughts. There was silence between the two as they walked aimlessly down the street towards the local park. The recent experience Rayne-Marie had in the other world peeked in her thoughts. Should she tell Heather? She started to open her mouth.

"Heather! Hey over here!" The girls turned to see a young man about their age sitting at the top of the slide. His long braided ponytail fell down his muscular back. His wife beater shirt showed off his biceps and firm chest.

"Tommy!" Heather cried out as she raced towards the slide. He slid down to meet her. The two embraced in a slightly more than friendship, but not really dating hug.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked.

Heather shrugged. "I got suspended."

"Really, what for?"

Heather gave a sideways glance towards Rayne-Marie. "For hitting her." She turned back towards Tommy. Tommy did a sideways glance at Rayne seeing the black and blue mark on her face.

"Do I know you?" he asked her.

Rayne-Marie did recognize Tommy, but she didn't know from where exactly. She supposed she just saw him in the hallway at school.

"I…I don't think so," she stuttered.

"So, you're taking a mini vacation too?" Heather asked Tommy.

"Nope. I'm done there. Monday was my last day. I don't know why I had to even go in since I didn't do anything all day." Tommy explained.

"So…you're no longer attending Portland High," Heather let out an exasperated sigh. "I wish I could get expelled."

"What? No you don't! It sucks! I'm possibly going to be forced into going to Mercy Academy."

"Isn't that a Catholic school?" Heather inquired.

"Yes! A uniform Catholic school! I'm not even Catholic! I've never gone to church!"

As Heather and Tommy continued their talk, Rayne-Marie started wobbling uncomfortably on her feet. She should probably add to the conversation too.

"Uh, my dad went to a Catholic school…" she started hesitantly. Tommy peered around Heather to see Rayne-Marie.

"Did he get slapped around by nuns? That's what I'm told happens."

"I don't know really. I never really talked to him when I was little. He doesn't live with us anymore…"

The uncomfortable silence actually felt painful.

"My dad skipped out on my family too," Tommy responded. Rayne-Marie felt her mouth drop open partially as his response was unexpected. "At least Heather has a good dad. Too bad you don't know what happened to your mom." Heather pressed her lips together. "So, where are you two going?"

"I'm going home," Heather stated firmly.

"I…" Rayne-Marie realized the grave error she just made. "I just left the school!"

Tommy laughed loudly. "What?"

"Are you going back?" Heather asked.

At this point, Rayne-Marie might as well go home. She did get injured, so shouldn't she be sent home anyways?

"I really don't want to," Rayne answered crossly.

"Then come to my place," she offered.

Rayne-Marie stood stiffly with her hands curled together. "Um…well…I…"

"Come on. You've been through a lot this week. And I really feel bad for hitting you. I should have saved that punch for Sherrie." Rayne-Marie let out a small laugh.

"Okay. I can't really go home right now. Well, my mom won't be there, but the neighbor will and she'll see me." Heather weakly smiled and turned with a wave to Tommy. "I hope to see you again sometime."

"Oh you'll see me," Tommy responded with his own smile.

The girls walked off. Heather glanced behind her to see Tommy sitting down on one of the swings. Guess he was going to hang out there for a while.

It was quite a walk from the school to where Heather lived. Daisy Villa Apartments was a lower income homing establishment. Heather led the way up the cracked cement steps to the marred and graffiti decorated front door into the apartment building. Heather unlocked the door to her apartment. No one was there, but they were greeted by a messy kitchen and notebooks scarred on the round table in the small dining area.

"Dad isn't here? Where did he go?" Heather wondered out loud.

"Did you want him to be here?" Rayne-Marie asked. Her tone was more than surprised.

"See, that's the thing. My dad wouldn't care if I was sent home from school. Well…he'd care, but he wouldn't blame me."

"Really? Why not? I mean…most parents wouldn't want their kids being sent home, suspended from school."

Heather turned to Rayne with her icy stare, which made her quickly back up. But Heather relaxed her hard expression. "Let me show you around," she offered. An itch of guilt triggered inside Rayne-Marie as she realized she never showed Heather around her house when she was over. Maybe she was the rude one.

Heather walked into the living room where there was a big comfy chair sitting in front of the TV. "This is my dad's 'watch TV/journaling/envisioning and meditation chair," Heather began with a slight laugh. "Uh…he's a writer, so…that's why the notebooks are on the table. Uh…" Heather hopped over to the kitchen area. "This is our kitchen and our very modest dining room," she pointed to the round table in the corner with a dome lamp hanging over it. She turned and moved to the hallway. "My dad's room is in here," she pointed to the door. Then opened it and peeked inside. The room was empty. His bed was neatly made however. In fact his whole room was spotless. She closed the door. "My room is in here."

"Oh, you get your own bathroom?" Rayne-Marie asked.

"Both my and dad and I have a bathroom to ourselves. I know the apartment complex building doesn't look like much, but the apartments themselves are quite nice."

Rayne-Marie stepped into the bathroom. She immediately noticed the entire mirror covered up by cardboard. Her eyes narrowed in wonder.

"Uh, is there a reason you covered up your mirror?" Heather mouth fell open slightly.

"There's a crack in the glass," she finally answered.

Rayne-Marie's eyes fell on a teddy bear on Heather's bed. Heather didn't put it away to hide it. She didn't even care that it was out in open view. Rayne-Marie always made sure all her stuff animals were hidden when friends came over. She did that ever since the fourth grade. She turned to Heather, who was busy getting something out of her top dresser drawer.

"I keep a journal, just like my dad." Heather held the fluffy purple notebook close to her. "I realized something after I left Mc Lane's office. When she yelled at me for hitting you, she didn't seem like her usual self. She was out of breath as she spoke and her eyes kept bouncing around in her head. Usually, she has all this energy and her eyes are directly on me when she lectured me before. This time, it felt like she was trying really hard to find a reason to punish me. Or maybe she was ready to give up on me."

Rayne-Marie kept her eyes on Heather wondering if she should say something, but Heather went on. "Mrs. Mc Lane is…or was a teacher at that school at one time. She was a teacher when my dad went there." Rayne stared wide-eyed at Heather. The woman had to be pretty old. "Yeah, I think she's really close to retiring, but, my dad was a good student and never got into any trouble…unlike me. She encouraged him in his writing, she was an English teacher, I guess. But, she said he disappeared for a while and came back to Portland with me as a baby. I guess because she had such high expectations for him, she has them for me too."

"So, that's why she's so hard on you?"

"Well…" Heather handed the notebook to Rayne-Marie. "Open the book to the exact page where it's marked. Just read that page, got it?" Heather instructed with a warning. Rayne opened the notebook to a rainbow and sunshine bookmark. Teddy bears, rainbow/sunshine bookmark? This didn't seem like the kind of things that came from a mentally disturbed girl. Heather started to become a very sweat and fun loving girl. She looked down at the page written with sparkly blue pen.

_I guess what they say is true. Be careful whom you trust. Maybe if she were wiser, she would not cross me like that. But, I have to admit, she really did fool me. I kind of have to laugh at myself. She really should be kinder to people, especially someone like me. I don't care if she just got out of the hospital or not, she can't just lie to people. Now I can't walk a step in that school without someone harassing me. I think someone should just burn down the school. That would solve everyone's problems. But maybe I'm being too harsh. I did tell her my secret and this is what happens when you trust the wrong person. But she will get the same in return. After all, I do believe in Karma. That's why I continue to live without guilt._

Rayne-Marie looked up at Heather. "Um…who is this about?"

"This is when Sherrie stuck a knife in my back," Heather crudely explained.

Rayne-Marie looked down, skimming the passage again. But it barely made sense to her. She didn't understand half the words on the paper. She internally chastised herself.

"Uh Heather…I…" Rayne-Marie bit her lip. "I can't read very well."

Heather eyed Rayne, not sure what to say. "What do you mean? We're in English class together and you seem to do fine."

"I'm not. I'm failing the class. My only hope in passing is our Hamlet project. That's why Mrs. Summers put me with you. She said you were doing well, but you are hardly there and you just said that you're not a good student like your dad and…  
>"Hold on. I don't behave like my dad did, not after what happened freshman year. I do fine in my classes."<p>

Rayne-Marie looked past Heather where a slip of paper was tacked to the wall. She moved to her feet, her eyes glued onto the paper. It was Heather's grades for last semester, all A's. Rayne-Marie shook her head.

"I don't understand. So, you're a good student? Why do you get into trouble?"

"I didn't until Sherrie lied to Mrs. Mc Lane."

"What lie?" Rayne-Marie heard her own frustration in her voice.

Heather picked up her journal. She turned the page and read,

_"Her name is Sherrie. My first friend I had at Portland High. She decided to tell everyone that my father molested me and that's why I'm so screwed up. She made our assistant principal, Mrs. Mc Lane believe that I started the fire at school. Sherrie stole my journal and showed it to Mc Lane. My dad was called in, but I already knew he'd take my side. Still, everyone is afraid of me all of the sudden. Are they really that scared of someone who supposedly set fire to the school, or is there something else Sherrie told everyone. Oh my God! The nightmares! Did Sherrie tell everyone about my nightmares?"_

Heather finished reading and looked at Rayne-Marie. "Sorry, this was the passage I wanted you to read. So, now you know what happened." She slammed the book shut. Rayne nodded to her. "I remembered that fire our freshman year. I thought the janitor said there was a problem with some chemicals in the science lab starting the fire."

"I didn't start a fire, but…" Heather tensed up. "I did have a dream that the school caught on fire. And I told Sherrie about that dream when I was in the hospital with her."

Rayne-Marie bit her lip, choosing her next words carefully. "I don't think you told me why you were in the hospital."

Heather eyed her cautiously. "It was suggested by Dr. Brandson after I talked to him about my nightmares. That was my mistake. I wasn't there long. Just for a month."

Rayne-Marie nodded.

Rayne-Marie left Heather's apartment about the time school would let out. When Mr. Morris happily drove Rayne to her house. She just walked through the door when her mother walked stomped over.

"Rayne-Marie Cramer! What is going on with you?!" Rayne stared vacantly at her mother. "I just got the call from school. Why would you refuse to go to your classes? Especially after all the begging I did to keep you in regular education classes! You know that school wants to put you in Special Education, right? Do you know how embarrassed I'll be if my daughter, the girl who graduated Valedictorian in grade school and achieved the Outstanding Achievement Award for her class, gets put into the same classroom as those brain dead idiots?" The wide-eyed gaze on Rayne-Marie was not enough to satisfy her mother. "Well, are you going to answer me or just stare blankly at me?!"

"Mom," she fought back the tears. "I won't be put into Special Ed, I promise! I'm smarter than that! I left school today because a girl in my class hit me and I…"

"If someone hit you, you go tell the principal, not leave the school! This is your last chance Rayne-Marie! Get your act together!" Rayne-Marie nodded then turned towards the stairs.

Rayne-Marie stayed in her room all afternoon. Strange enough, her mind was not on the words her mother screamed at her, but on Heather. It hurt even more that Heather was a good student, achieving all A's. And yet, she had a bad rep. The two didn't seem to go together. It also angered Rayne-Marie that Heather didn't have to worry about her father punishing her for being suspended from school. Heather right out told her father that she was suspended from school. All he said was to apologize to the person she hit, which she already did. But that was it. She didn't get screamed at, or grounded, nothing at all! And that was when Rayne-Marie Cramer wished she had the life of Heather Morris.


	8. Chapter 8: Horrors and Urgent Care

Chapter 8: Horrors and Urgent Care

The rancid smell trickled Rayne-Marie's nose. She bolted upward. Her eyes flashed open to take in the environment of gurneys, dim lamps, and the smell of blood around her.

"W-what…?" she whispered. Her eyes grazed around the room. Pushing herself off the bed, she saw what caused the smell. A corpse sat upright in the corner. The white lab coat was caked in blood and their skin already began to decay. Rayne gasped and covered her mouth. The smell nauseated her. She caught a glimpse of a flashlight on the desk next to the decaying man. She grabbed it quickly before running out the door. On the other side was a dark hallway.

"Not again..." Rayne-Marie grabbed her throbbing head. "I don't want this anymore!" An open door stood a few feet ahead of her. She peered into the small room, an office most likely. She forced her feet to walk her through the doorway.

"Do I really have to do this alone?" As she spoke, her foot hit something. She looked down. No, make that someone.

"No!" she cried out louder than she intended. But her eyes focused and she recognized the person. She bent down, shaking their shoulder.

"Heather! Oh my God! Wake up!"

Heather jerked awake. As she came to life, Heather suddenly backhanded Rayne in the face, (the opposite side of where she hit her previously).

"Oh, it's you." She saw the mark on Rayne-Marie. "Oh, I'm sorry. I just keep beating you up don't I?" Heather tried to stay in good humor.

"It's okay," Rayne said rubbing the side of her face. "I'm just relieved you're here too." Heather moved to her feet. Looking around slowly, she took in the atmosphere of the messy office and the terrible smell.

"Where the hell are we?" Heather brooded.

"I think we're in a hospital," Rayne-Marie said softly.

"What?" Heather cried out. Rayne looked down at a piece of paper on the desk, a memo of some sort.

To all _Achemilla Hospital staff, please make sure to check the date on the prescription drugs before using them._

"What is the Al-ka-mm—ila hos-pi- oh hospital?"

Heather looked at the memo pad. "Achemilla Hospital," she read. Her eyes squinted in a peculiar glance. "Why does that name sound familiar?" Heather walked out into the hallway. Her eyes gazed around the grimy interior of the walls. Up ahead was a blockade made of a couch, a few chairs and a desk, full of mold and decaying in a heap. Through a small space, Heather saw the exit doors.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Heather let out. "It's too obvious that someone or something wants us to stay in this nightmarish place!"

Rayne-Marie turned the opposite way towards another set of doors. "That seems to be the only way to go," she pointed her finger.

Heather let out a groan. "I know. I know." She still rushed over to the barricade of furniture. "But this is just a few chairs lying on a coach and a desk oddly wedged diagonally between the couch and the wall! I should be able to at least move the chairs!" Her hands were on one of the chairs when a low growl erupted from the other side of the junk. Heather peered around the chair as a vicious, demonic dog jumped at her hand with a snarling bark. Heather yelled out as she jumped back. Through the cracks of the chair, she saw the hallow black eyes and fangs full of blood. Heather rushed back towards Rayne-Marie.

"Yeah, you're right! This way is better!" she screeched.

Rayne looked at her with wide eyes. "Are you afraid of dogs?" she slowly asked. Heather nodded. "Those types of dogs I am!"

The girls rushed through the doors where they found the culprit of the putrid smell of blood. Their eyes followed the trail of blood to the elevator. At first, it appeared to be the only way to go, but another opportunity opened up. Heather turned quickly to the right to another set of doors. She didn't speak a word as she pushed them open to find…a kitchen. Rayne-Marie, being a few inches taller than Heather saw clearly over her head into the room.

"You want to go in there?" In response to her question, Heather just walked in. Dirt and grime lined every inch of the room. However, it looked better than the rest of the hospital. Heather moved with stealth around the corner of the center island full of hanging pots and pans. So far, there weren't any monsters. Her eyes went to the counter top where she saw a butcher knife.

"Hey, that may be useful," she said, grabbing it. She looked over the condition; it looked brand new. She slid the sharp end along the counter top a few times. The blade left a deep marks in the linoleum. "It's not my pocket knife, but it will work." She turned to Rayne-Marie. "Usually, I always have my knife with me, even when I'm at school."

"Uh, Heather…if you don't mind me asking…why is it you carry your knife to school?"

Heather widened her eyes at Rayne-Marie. "Why shouldn't I?" she said plainly. Rayne turned her eyes down, afraid to ask anything else. Rayne-Marie followed Heather into the hallway towards the elevator. Heather eyed the blood in front of the elevator. It oozed out from inside the shaft.

"Are you really going to hit the button?" Rayne asked. Heather hesitated with her hand in the air. "Maybe it's not that bad," she answered and quickly pressed the 'up' button. However, it didn't light up.

"Oh well, never mind." Heather sighed. "Well, that's probably good we can't use the elevator."

"Where do we go now?" Rayne asked.

Heather walked back around the corner to the one door they haven't opened yet. She turned the knob and pushed the door open to reveal a staircase going down into a dark basement.

"We need a flashlight."

Rayne-Marie took the small flashlight from her back pocket and handed it to her.

"How the…? Wow! Good job, thinking ahead."

_Thinking? It's been a long time since someone used her name and the word 'thinking' in the same sentence. Unless it was, she wasn't thinking._

Rayne-Marie shined the light down the stairs, putting one foot in front of the other to lead the way. Her bravery even astonished her. Down in the basement, there were still no monsters to be seen, but the place smelled full of mold and decay. Rayne shined the light on the door down at the end of the hallway. The sign above the door read, _Morgue_.

"We don't need to go in there, right?" she asked nervously.

"I don't think so." Heather turned her eyes to the open door next to the stairs. "Can you shine the light in there? I think I see the generator." Rayne fulfilled the request.

"Why do you want to see the generator?" Heather walked into the room, studying the huge contraption closely. She hit the 'on' switch and the old, rusty machine roared. "It works. We can use the elevator now." Her eyes popped back to the floor to see something metal glistening in the corner of the room. Heather bent down and picked up a 9MM handgun. "Nice. This is a better find than the knife." She turned to Rayne-Marie. "Are you comfortable using a gun? Or would you rather use the knife?"

Rayne recalled her last trip to this horror town that she used a gun. She wasn't comfortable with it then or now, but she would rather use a range weapon than get close to any of those creatures!

"I can use the gun," she said. She took the firearm, turning her eyes to the roaring generator. "How did you figure out how to turn on the generator?"

"It wasn't that hard, I just pushed a button." Rayne-Marie turned her eyes downward. "Oh come on! If you were here all by yourself, I'm sure you'd figure out how to turn on the generator." Heather pushed the button for the elevator door to open. Rayne-Marie followed after Heather, while whispering to herself, "You don't know me that well." She had a hard time working the microwave oven.

Heather pressed the button for the second floor. The doors closed and the elevator jolted upwards. When the elevator stopped, the girls walked into a dark, dreary room of simple chairs and a table; a waiting room. A little dirty maybe, but nothing else. Heather walked over to the double doors and pulled on the handle, only to find it locked.

"We can't get in. I guess we can try the third floor."

Inside the elevator, she pushed the number three button. The elevator took the girls up. On the third floor, Heather walked over to the doors, just to get the same result of being locked.

"Okay. So where the hell are we supposed to go in this stupid hospital!" she fumed.

Back inside the elevator, the girls stood there for a second.

"Hold on, was that button there before?" Rayne-Marie pointed at the button with the number four. Heather spun her head around to see the glowing button over the three. She pressed it, and they were once again hoisted upwards.

The doors opened. The girls slowly walked out into the room. This area stood different than the other floors. Rust covered every inch of the walls and the double doors. Rayne-Marie and Heather both looked at the doors with panic stricken faces. Heather dared to put her hand on the doorknob. The door opened. "Of course this one is unlocked," she griped.

The girls continued down the dark hallway. Rayne shined the light along the floor and walls, every part full of rust. They tried to open each door they passed; everyone was stuck fast. Walking down the hall a few more steps, they heard a lock click behind them. Racing towards the doors, the girls were frantic as they tried to get it to open.

"We've been locked in!" Heather cried.

"By who? No one else is here!" Rayne cried with the same hysterics.

"Forget it. We have no choice, but to keep going."

Moving through the darkness, they found their way to the end of the hallway where a flight of stairs led them down to the third floor. They stood there for a moment looking at more blood and rust filled walls. Rayne turned around and almost choked on the thick, moist air. A wall suddenly appeared behind them on the stairs.

"Why is this place so weird?" she moaned. As the girls stood, frozen in fear of what would be beyond the door, something slithered its way up from the floor below. A low moan erupted from the creature's mouth as its head bobbed from side to side. Seeing this deformed being with blood on its white lab coat, the girls screamed and ran through the double doors. They stopped as hideous women in blue nurse blouses staggered around, blood covering them from head to toe. They moaned as they came at the girls with scalpels. Heather reacted, stabbing one nurse in the chest with the butcher knife. Rayne spun around to another nurse, shooting her until she fell. She stared at the woman for a moment, convulsing on the floor. The nurse Heather stabbed flailed about on the floor as well. She kicked it a few times to make her stop. Unexpected, she pulled out the knife; the blade caked with the nurse's blood.

"Are these things nurses?!" Rayne-Marie shrieked.

Heather stared down at them for a long moment.

"I hate nurses!" she muttered.

Rayne narrowed her eyes in suspicion to that comment. Heather kept her face turned the opposite way from Rayne.

"Let's keep moving."

Down the hall and through another set of doors, they reached the elevator. Heather hit the button for the doors to open.

"Come on! We're going to the first floor and getting out of this Hell hospital. I'd rather face those dogs at the entrance than all those psychotic nurses!" Heather ranted.

The elevator doors closed as she hit the button for floor one. The girls were jolted downward so suddenly, that they felt their stomachs drop.

The doors opened to a dark corridor with a broken vending machine. They traveled into the hallway to the double doors that led into the other area. Rayne-Marie got to the door first this time. She pulled as hard as she could, but the doors didn't budge.

"I can't open them."

Heather tried as well, but they weren't moving. She tried another door diagonally across the way. The door creaked open and the girls stared down a familiar dark descending staircase that looked even creepier now in the Hell version of the hospital. With immense dread, the girls slowly descended down the stairs.

The darkness of the basement gave a new fear. Without a light, it would be like shutting your eyes, except you wouldn't dare shut your eyes in this place. Rayne-Marie kept the light on the floor in front of her. Suddenly, a low moan came from somewhere near.

"Point the light up more," Heather directed.

Rayne didn't respond. Heather grabbed the flashlight and shined it across the room to where a hellish doctor stumbled about.

"I'll hold the light, you shoot it."

Rayne-Marie stared wide-eyed at Heather for a moment, then turned her eyes towards the enemy. It charged at them with a scalpel. Rayne squeezed the trigger multiple times sending bullets into the monster. The hellish doctor fell to the floor groaning and then was silent.

"Was that it? I thought there would be more enemies," Heather stated.

Rayne-Marie gazed over the area with the flashlight. "So, the basement is like the one we saw before, but it's just full of bloody and rusted walls and floors? So, the generator room is right…" She turned around, shining the light onto the door next to the stairs. "…There." Rayne opened the door where a dim flickering light streamed out of the huge generator. It was still on, which in retrospect, made sense, but at the same time it was weird because they were transported into another world. Or maybe they never left the hospital; it's just now full of blood, rust and mental undead hospital staff?

Heather came in the room behind Rayne-Marie. Her eyes shifted to the corner, where in the normal hospital, there was a handgun. Now, in the Hell hospital, there was something better leaning against the wall. A shotgun! Heather grabbed it with quick hands.

"This will work much better than that knife!"

"You know how to use that?"

Heather was already checking the chamber for bullets. There were six, fully loaded.

"My dad showed me."

Heather walked back out into the hallway with Rayne-Marie following behind her. Heather went to open the door across from the generator room, a sign above the door read _Store Room._ She jiggled the handle and came to the conclusion that it was locked. She proceeded to the end of the hallway to a set up doors and started to push them open.

"Hold on!" Rayne-Marie called out. "I think that's the morgue!" She shined the light above the door, but the letters were warned away. She ran through the doors to catch up with Heather. Just as the girls entered the room, they were meet by a trio of nurses, two in blue blouses one in a green blouse. Heather aimed the shotgun at one nurse coming at her in the blue blouse. The bullet hit her directly in the head. Heather was a little shocked by how accurately she hit the nurse. But a shot in the head wasn't enough to take it down. While Heather shot at the enemy in front of her, the other one wearing a blue shirt slithered its way towards her. Rayne aimed the pistol and shot multiple times. Heather only needed to hit her nurse three times before she fell convulsing. Rayne had to shoot her nurse five times before she fell. Now they looked at the nurse in the green blouse, which appeared to linger around the gurney in the far right corner of the room. The nurse held something in the air, but it wasn't a scalpel, it was a lead pipe. She came at the girls swinging, and they answered the wretched creature with rounds of ammunition. The nurse got in one swing, connected the pipe right into Heather's forehead. Heather, now stunned fell back into one of the gurneys and collapsed on the floor. The nurse proceeded to swing the pipe down to beat Heather.

"No! Get away from her you witch!" Rayne-Marie screamed as she shot at the nurse. But the gun just clicked. She was out of bullets. The lead pipe hit Heather in the side; her ribs cracked.

"Stop!" Rayne-Marie shouted as she raced towards the nurse. She hulled out and smacked the nurse continually with the barrel of the gun. Over and over again, screaming at it to die. The nurse fell and finally died. Rayne-Marie turned to Heather. Just looking at her horrified her. Was she dead? No! No, she had to be all right!

Rayne-Marie finally turned her attention to the gurney that nurse guarded. There were some interesting treasures there, a first aid kit, some kind of red liquid in a bottle, and a key with an attached tag that read, _Store Room._

Rayne-Marie wrapped some bandages from the first aid kit around Heather's ribs and then sat her up and lifted her onto the gurney next to her. Heather was surprisingly light.

"I'm going to find something that will help you. I promise I won't leave you like this."

Rayne-Marie returned to the hallway, heading straight across to the storeroom. After using the key, she hurried inside. Thankfully, she didn't see any enemies, just shelves of hospital supplies. There were lots of gauze and bandages put in boxes, but she already wrapped up Heather's wounds. In the back of the room was a tall cabinet taking almost the entire back wall. Something about it seemed off, like it didn't belong in this room. She investigated further to see skid marks on the floor. She went to the other side and tried pushing the cabinet. It moved a few inches so she could see part of a door.

"The cabinet was hiding something," she spoke out loud. She continued pushing with all her strength until the entire door was uncovered. Rayne opened the door to see a room with the floor a big grate and under the grate looked like a black bottomless pit. The grate shook as she stepped onto it. She prayed the grate would hold her and she wouldn't fall through. There was a wheel chair in the far right corner, but her attention stayed on a book lying on the grate next to it. The book was opened to a specific page.

"_The Monster Lurks"_

_Ch. 3 Manifestation of Delusions_

"_Negative emotions like fear, worry or stress manifest into external energy with physical effects. Nightmares have, in some cases, been shown to trigger them. However, such phenomena do not appear to happen to just anyone. Although it is not clear why, adolescence, especially girls, are prone to such occurrences." _

Rayne-Marie suddenly thought about the nightmares Heather has frequently. As far as negative emotions, Heather did show herself as moody from time to time. She wasn't sure how stressed Heather was, but what high school student isn't stressed? Rayne-Marie's eyes bounced around until she saw a piece of ripped paper in the crevice of the book.

_Rayne-Marie Cramer: In critical condition. After auto accident, she was rushed to the hospital along with her father. There is severe nerve damage and cerebral damage. We will give an update soon._

_Michael A. Cramer: Condition has improved. He is able to leave the hospital._

_Past History of Illness: Michael Cramer has a history of Depression and suicidal thoughts. Concerns: He has been referred to see a psychiatrist. After the accident, he feels that his daughter's condition is his fault. We will keep in touch with him and his wife (the mother). _

"What's this?" Rayne-Marie cried out. At that moment, a vision burst through her mind. She appeared in a classroom as her younger self in fifth grade. Rayne-Marie sat in a desk in a quad facing her friend Eileen. Sherrie, a younger plump version, nervously walks past her desk while holding a piece of paper in front of her face so no one will see her. Rayne-Marie spins around.

"Hey, look whose waddling her fat ass by us, Eileen. God Sherrie, your body mass takes up the entire aisle!" Sherrie hid her face and walked quickly to her seat. Rayne-Marie turned to meet Eileen's eyes before both girls giggled.

Another vision came. Mrs. Kane, Rayne's fifth grade teacher stood in front of the class, a stack of papers in her hands.

"Okay everyone, I have graded your history tests. And as always, I am proud to give the top three scores. We have Darren at third place with a 93%. The class applauds as a small, cute boy with brown hair takes his test with a gold star. Sherrie at second place with a 98%. Sherrie slowly walks while keeping her eyes on the floor the whole time as she takes her test. And our first place goes to …Rayne-Marie with 100% percent! A perfect score!" The whole class erupts in applause as Rayne-Marie smiles and dances up to the teacher to take her test.

The dark room returned and Rayne-Marie, now nowhere the person she was back in her childhood, stands alone with the piece of paper in her hands. A sudden loud thump exploded from down below. Rayne jumped to her feet and ran for the door. She made it back into the storage room. Her eye caught a skinny brown bottle of liquid. She shot out her hand and grabbed it.

Rayne-Marie returned to Heather with her supplies. She peered down at Heather's body. She didn't stir at all.

"Heather?" Rayne shook her. No response. Rayne began trembling. "No… No! Heather!" Heather's mouth hung slightly open. Rayne-Marie poured the liquid from the bottle. She waited a moment. Heather choked, then gasped for air. Her eyes opened and she turned her head towards Rayne-Marie.

"Rayne…" she coughed and sat up. Swinging her legs over the gurney, she pushed herself onto the floor. Suddenly, her arms flung around Rayne's shoulders. Rayne stiffened her body until Heather let go.

"See, you can be in control. I owe you one." Rayne narrowed her eyes. Heather checked for her gun.

"It's right here." Rayne found the shotgun under the gurney and handed the firearm over. Heather took it.

The girls made it back to the hallway. "I found a strange door behind the shelf. It's in the storeroom," she pointed across the hall.

"Well, there's nowhere else to go," Heather concluded.

Through the storeroom and back into the room of grates, the room appeared different. The book Rayne- Marie found was gone. She gazed over the tiny room, but there was nothing. Instead, there was another grate on the floor that appeared to be movable. Heather didn't waste time opening it. She shined the flashlight down a flight of stairs. Rayne-Marie stared wide-eyed at the stairs. "There's another floor under this one?"

"It appears that way," Heather responded. Heather kept her eyes on Rayne-Marie for a moment, almost like she expected her to say something else. But nothing was said. Heather turned back to the stairs as she descended. Rayne-Marie breathed shallow, as she took step by step downward. Down a dark hallway, it was completely silent. Everywhere the flashlight shinned gave more shadows. The red walls were the most disturbing. It was like the walls bled; streams of blood dripped from the ceiling to the floor. Heather jiggled the handle of the first door.

"It won't open." She tried the next, the same outcome. The next and the next, all doors were locked. Finally, she tried the last door. It opened. At first sight, Heather stopped dead in her tracks. Rayne peered over her shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Heather walked in further with no answer. Her eyes wildly scanned the room. Blood boiled on the walls, a hospital bed with stained sheets, and a dresser next to it. Her eyes locked on the picture on the dresser. The picture of a child dressed in an old fashion dress and a frightened eyes and the mouth stayed in a straight line. Rayne-Marie kept her eyes on Heather as she stood over the edge of the bed looking down at a diary. Heather sped read the entry.

_Diary_

_I keep begging the doctor not to be put in charge of that patient. But he just says the same thing over and over again. You need another dose, you'll feel better. But I don't! I don't feel better! I feel like I have to throw up. It doesn't matter how often I change the bandages. All that blood and puss keeps flowing out. As a nurse, I don't want her to die. But as a caring human being with compassion, I wish for her suffering just to end._

_Please…someone help me!_

_I'm so sorry… _

_I can't do anything to save you._

Heather's eyes jumped back to the picture where there was a name sighed at the bottom of the frame. _Alessa._ She turned towards Rayne.

"What does it say in that notebook?" Rayne looked down at the book, but the page was blank.

"Never mind. It's not important." Heather started for the door, but stopped when she saw fear in Rayne-Marie's eyes. Heather spun around to see a young girl lying on the bed. Her black hair mated in blood, bandages around oozing wounds. As she tried to breathe, the air squeezed out of her lungs. Heather screamed as she took in the morbid view of her.

Rayne-Marie moved towards the bed; seeing the girl, she cried out, aiming the handgun at her. Before she could do anything else, Heather grabbed the barrel of the gun and twisted it back.

"Ow! What are you doing?" Heather loosened her grip as if she wasn't sure. She turned back towards the bed. A man stood by the bed along with a woman with a headscarf, her face full of wrinkles.

"Make sure no one knows she's here," the woman said.

"But, I need the nurse here to tend to her while I deal with my business."

The woman took out a vial with white liquid. "Give her this. She'll hallucinate to the point where she won't know what is real anymore."

"This better work!" The man growled. "I don't need anymore problems in this hospital!"

"Just do as I ask and you will be paid a great amount," the woman replied.

The two disappeared. Rayne-Marie looked at Heather, her mouth turned down, gritting her teeth, horrified. "What was that?" Heather shook her head and backed away.

"You think I know? I don't know anything!"

Sirens blared, the sound deafening. Both girls covered their ears.

_No! No more of this! Was I really a bad person back then? _Rayne-Marie's thoughts rambled on. _Sherrie…I understand…why you hate me._


	9. Chapter 9: Images

Chapter 9: True Images

"Sherrie and I became friends Freshman year," Heather explained. Rayne-Marie sat across from Heather at the Sub Shop. The place wasn't very busy at all, which seemed odd for the time of day. "She was pretty overweight. I guess she got made fun of a lot." Heather pressed her lips together staring dead into Rayne-Marie's eyes. "I don't tolerate people being mean to each other just because they're different." Rayne felt the daggers of Heather's eyes stab her.

"R-right. I a-agree…"

"But, after Sherrie and I were in the hospital together, we bonded. So, I told her about the nightmares I've had since I was a child. You know, Sherrie was suicidal. She almost completely gave up. That's why it hurts so much…" Heather bit her lip. Rayne swore she saw tears forming in her eyes. Heather took a deep breath.

"But why would she become mean all of the sudden?"

Heather shrugged. "I guess some people don't know how to be friends. Maybe they're treated so badly in their life that they just become bitter. That's what my dad says, anyways." Rayne nodded.

Heather stood up gathering the sub wrapper from the table. She tossed it in the trash, then grabbed a foot long ham and cheese. "Speaking of my dad, I should get his sub to him."

"So…do you want to hang out at your house?"

"I can't. Still grounded because of the school drama," Heather replied." Rayne turned away.

"I'm sorry."

Heather gazed earnestly at Rayne. "I already told you. Don't worry about it."

A few days later Rayne-Marie was on her way to English. The students were their usual nosy selves before the bell for first period rang. Rayne-Marie breathed easier as her eyes fell on Heather at her desk. Before she realized it, she pranced on over.

"Are you ready for our presentation?" she asked. Heather turned to her and nodded.

"It'll be a snap." Heather opened her notebook. "Do you want to go through the scene, real fast?" Rayne-Marie turned her attention to the door as Sherrie and Eileen walked in jabbering.

"Yeah," she responded.

Mrs. Summers spared no time in getting right to the Hamlet presentations. She pulled names from a cup, so no one knew when they would be going until they're names were called. Many groups were called to perform. Heather and Rayne-Marie sat in their seats, tense with anticipation. She put her hand into the cup again and pulled out the next group of names.

"Eileen, Kaylee and Sherrie."

The three girls rushed to the front of the room.

"So, which scene are you performing for us?" Ms. Summers asked.

"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern ask Hamlet about the location of the body of Polonius," Sherrie answered. She turned to the class, pushing her lips together smugly. Rayne-Marie swore the smug look was for her. The girls performed, Sherrie acted as Hamlet, Kaylee as Rosencrantz and Eileen as Guildenstern. They performed it perfectly and by memory. Now, they had to give the interpretation of the scene.

"Hamlet tries to avoid the questions asked of him. He calls Rosencrantz a sponge, meaning he is just a 'yes man' for Claudius…" Sherrie continued her speech. Eileen and Kaylee didn't get to add in their two cents? Ms. Summers nodded to every word until she was finished.

"Okay, thank you, girls." She returned her hand inside the cup and drew out the next group.

"Rayne-Marie and Heather," she said a little too cheery. Heather nodded to Rayne. They walked to the front of the room. Rayne-Marie's cheeks were flushed, her face felt hot. Heather walked to the door of the classroom. Rayne-Marie sat down in a chair. Heather walked over to her. Rayne-Marie stood.

"Now mother, what is the matter?" Heather began her line.

"Hamlet, thou hast thy father much offended." Rayne-Marie memorized the line perfectly.

"Mother, you have my father much offended," Heather returned.

"Come, come, you answer with an idle tongue.

"Go, go, you question with a wicked tongue." Heather added the intimidating tone to her line. Rayne-Marie took a step back, not by will.

"Why, how now, Hamlet?

"What is the matter now?" Heather's voice rose drastically. Rayne-Marie teetered on her feet. _She's just acting._ Rayne reminded herself.

"Have you forgot me?" Rayne-Marie tried to put her own emotional hurt tone into the line.

"No, by the rood, not so. You are the queen, your husband's brother's wife, And-would it were not so! You are my mother!" Rayne-Marie breathed deeply before she continued.

"Nay, then I'll set those to you that can speak."

"Come, come and sit you down." Heather put a hand on Rayne-Marie's shoulder. It was harsher than they practiced. Rayne felt her legs give way and she collapsed on the chair. "You shall not budge. You go to till I set you up a glass where you may see the inmost part of y…"

Heather staggered back, grabbing her head. The class and Ms. Summers stared at her, narrowing their eyes. From deep within her past, Heather pushed out the fearful words of a child.

"Daddy! Help me! Daddy! Where are you?" The entire classroom stared with wide eyes. Rayne-Marie watched Heather carefully. She moved her hand from her head. She seemed to be coming back. It was Rayne-Marie's line. But, now in shock, she couldn't think! _No! Don't you dare screw up!_ She swallowed hard.

"What wilt thou do? Thou wilt not murder me? Help!" She winced. After the scene completed, Heather wasn't responding. Rayne-Marie had to explain everything. She turned to address the class.

"So, this scene is about Hamlet confronting his mother about betraying the real king, King Hamlet, and marrying his brother Claudius. Hamlet shows his hurt towards his mother and we stopped right before he hears Polonius, who he mistakes for Claudius, and kills."

"Okay, thanks girls," Ms. Summers complimented.

The girls returned to their seats. Rayne-Marie kept her gaze on Heather. What on Earth happened to her?

At lunch, the girls sat in the cafeteria. Students scattered around, carrying lunch trays, talking, and laughing. Rayne-Marie almost stared a hole through Heather, but she didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were vacant as she stared at the table, her lunch in front of her.

"Uh, Heather, are you okay?"

Heather focused her eyes. "S…something is…wrong. I get headaches often, but this is a different feeling. Like someone is groping inside, trying to rearrange everything." Rayne-Marie shuttered. She kept her eyes on Heather, and didn't see Sherrie approaching. Heather looked up; her eyes stared through Rayne to Sherrie.

"Daddy, help me!" she mocked. "Wow, Heather, I didn't think you could get anymore crazy, but somehow you astonishingly found a new level. Heather jumped out of her seat and pounded the table.

"It's strange that you keep calling me crazy. You were in that mental hospital too! And I've actually kept your secret, just so you know. Even though you've told mine." Sherrie moved towards Heather, with teeth gleaming in a wicked grin.

"Why don't you just hit me again?" she challenged. Rayne-Marie realized that Sherrie totally ignored her for once. But, she acted completely irrationally.

"No." Heather answered plainly. Sherrie turned to Rayne-Marie, finally giving her recognition.

"Rayne, I guess you did find someone to hang out with, someone who is as dishonest as you."

Rayne-Marie understood and nodded. "I'm sorry Sherrie. Let's just stop this. I know I made fun of you back in fifth grade and I really am sorry."

Sherrie gritted her teeth. "So, you actually remember? Or are you admitting you never forgot?"

"I guess…both."

Sherrie's eyes welled up. "I hate you Rayne-Marie!" She drove her body into Rayne, forcing her off her chair, onto the ground.

"Get off her!" Heather screamed. She tore Sherrie off of Rayne, and held her for a second. "You want revenge? Well, you're not the only one!" Heather spat in rage.

"Stop this immediately!" A booming voice intervened. It was loud enough to break through the entire cafeteria. All students turned to Mc. Lane. The mammoth woman trotted over to the three girls. "Heather, Sherrie and…" Her eyes fell on Rayne-Marie, but lost her memory of her name.

"It's Rayne-Marie, ma'am," she said quietly.

"Get up!" Heather helped Rayne to her feet. "March yourselves to my office!" The girls obeyed.

Inside Mc Lane's office, the girls got an earful.

"I just don't know what else I can do for you, Heather. You are getting very close to being expelled." Mc Lane kept her eyes on her. Heather's eyes actually stared at the floor. "What are you going to tell your father if that happens?" Heather breathed deeply and shook her head. Mc Lane turned her eyes to Sherrie. "Sherrie, you are a smart girl, a wonderful student. But you need to avoid a situation when it gets aggressive." Sherrie returned her glance with pleading eyes.

"Mrs. Mc Lane…I'm so sorry…please don't suspend me."

Mc Lane sighed. "I haven't decided what I'm doing yet." She gazed over at Rayne-Marie. "I talked with your mom. How is your English grade?"

Did she have to talk about that with two other students in the room?

"I…uh…we did our Shakespeare presentation. I don't know what my grade is yet."

Mc Lane sat back in her chair. "Okay, for the next week, you three have lunch detention. I'm probably being too easy, but I have a feeling whatever is caused the drama today…" She moved her eyes to each girl, studying them carefully, "…Will be resolved if you just talk out your problems. I'll have you three talk to Mr. Brandson."

"Mr. Brandson? The only students who talk to him are crazy!" Sherrie complained. Heather narrowed her eyes at Sherrie with a warning.

"Who's Mr. Brandson?" Rayne-Marie whispered.

"The school psychologist," Mc Lane answered swiftly. "I'd think you would know that since you talked to him when you first started school here."

Heather jumped off her chair. "Okay. Lunch detention. I can deal with that. Can we go now?" Mc Lane shifted her eyes to Heather.

"Don't take this lightly, Ms. Morris. I am really disappointed how you've been doing this year. Especially since your grades are through the roof. Do you realize you can be Valedictorian? But you need to pull your act together."

Sherrie's eyes grew wide, and her mouth fell open. "But Mrs. Mc Lane, I'm in line to be Valedictorian."

"Well, you might have some competition." Sherrie narrowed her eyes at Heather.

"So, that's it ladies. You may wait in the office until Mr. Brandson calls you."

Sherrie pushed past Heather to the door. Heather turned to the door as Rayne-Marie followed.

It was a total surprise to Rayne-Marie when she was called first and she would be seeing the psychologist alone. Mr. Brandson sat behind his desk. The collar of his polo shirt was neatly tucked down. His dark hair combed neatly on the top of his head. He appeared as a young man in his late twenties, but Rayne-Marie believed he was older than that.

"Well, Rayne-Marie Cramer. We haven't spoke for a while now," he said jovially.

Rayne narrowed her eyes in confusion. "When was that?"

Mr. Brandson returned the same peculiar glance.

"You don't remember? Back in your Freshman year? I was the one who did your testing to determine your placement in the APT program."

"Apt?" Rayne-Marie tried to pronounce the strange word.

"A.P.T. Achievement Program for Teens. It was done so you could get help for your classes. Here, sit down," he gestured to the cozy red chair on the opposite side of his desk. It was surprising. Most of the personnel at the school made students sit in rickety chair made out of splintered wood. Rayne-Marie gladly took the seat. Mr. Brandson glanced genuinely at her.

"How have you been since the accident?"

Rayne's eyes popped all the way open. "Why are you asking me that?"

"I'm sorry to pry. Your mother called me last week when you just left the school. Were you confused? Is that why you left?"

Rayne-Marie felt the inside of her stomach harden. Her throat closed up.

"Confused? No. I just didn't want to be at school, okay?" Her voice boomed for a change.

"Why did you want to leave?" he pushed.

"I just… I blacked out in class! I had this weird dream! And all these people in this school don't give me any reason to want to be here!"

Mr. Brandson leaned back in his chair. "How are the other kids treating you? Was it different before the accident?" he asked.

Rayne pushed her lips together.

"This girl, Heather, hit me. But now we're friends. And we've been hanging out… But Sherrie is still mad at me."

"Was it different before the accident?" he repeated.

"What is this accident? First that notebook talked about it and my dad and now you're asking me about it?"

Mr. Brandson nodded. "You mean your notebook? The one you wrote in after the accident?"

"I wrote something about my dad?"

Mr. Brandson sighed. "Oh Rayne…I'm so sorry. It's hard to talk about the loss of a parent. It's hard for your mom too."

Rayne-Marie jolted up off the chair. "What are you talking about? My father left me and my mother after I graduated from eighth grade!"

He shook his head. "Oh Rayne," he covered his face and slid his hand down his cheek. Rayne-Marie felt tears well up in her eyes. Her head started to throb.

"I can't stay here." She rushed out of the room, running passed the chairs where Heather and Sherrie sat, and out of the main office. Heather watched as she ran. She felt concern for Rayne, but she was stuck waiting to talk to that stupid quack.

The next day at lunch, Rayne-Marie reported to the detention room during lunch. She wondered if Mrs. Mc Lane even talked to her mom, because she didn't receive the harsh lecture when she got home the previous day. Heather was already there, sitting at a desk and writing in her notebook. Mr. Richards, the ISS Aide stared at Rayne with stone cold eyes.

"You need to sign in. Put your cell phone on the table and have a seat."

"I don't have a cell phone," Rayne-Marie replied. He narrowed his eyes at her. If I see one while you're here, you'll be suspended."

Rayne-Marie swallowed hard. "I don't have one." She sat at the desk next to Heather.

"Not there," Mr. Richard snapped. "Move one seat over." Rayne-Marie moved. A moment later, Sherrie walked in. She walked right up to the tall man. "This is the first time I've got Detention."

"Sign in and put your cellphone on the desk." She complied and sat on the other side of Heather. The girls sat there for minutes in silence. Mr. Richards walked over to the door where one of the security guards stood. To the girls' surprise, he walked into the hallway and shut the door. Sherrie immediately spun her head towards Heather.

"By the way, you did tell my secret!" she harshly whispered.

"What are you talking about?" Heather replied with the same harshness.

"You told Eileen that I was in that mental hospital. You told her I was suicidal."

"I don't talk to Eileen!"

"Well, she knew about it. You're the only one I told! How else would she find out?"

Rayne-Marie stared for a moment. Her teeth were clenched, her mouth locked closed. Her eyes darted at the closed door, then to Heather and Sherrie. They were screaming louder now.

Rayne's eyes darted to the back of the room. In the corner was a free standing mirror. Its oval shape with gold trim frame gave it an eloquent look. Rayne left her desk, a courageous move on her part. Mr. Richards could walk back into the room at any given minute. If he caught her out of her seat, she could face a worse punishment.

Keeping her eyes on the mirror, Rayne-Marie felt more drawn to it. Her gloomy reflection stared back at her in the dull glass. Then her eyes went to the notebook in front of the mirror. The book sat opened to a specific page. Rayne knelt down to read it.

_ The Princess was so lost. She stood alone in the chapel. It was then she turned around to see the Wizard. But he wasn't really a wizard. He was a priest. "Why are you here, my child?"_

_ "If you are the one I seek, you know a way to defeat the monster that threatens my people," the princess responded._

_ "If I am the one you seek, you should know," the Priest said valiantly. _

_ "Please, I can't waste time. I have to figure out how to defeat this monster that threatens my people!" _

_The priest responded, "The only way to save them…is to die." _

_ "How will that save them? They need me to get rid of the monster!"_

_ "Princess, don't you know? The monster is...you!"_

Rayne stared at the book, unable to react. What was the point of this ridiculous story? And yet, it somehow reached into her soul.

"Heather," she called. Heather didn't respond as she was still yelling at Sherrie. Heather sprang to her feet. "How could you be so self righteous when you are the one who told everyone that I started that fire? Why would you spread a lie like that? I was your only friend back then, Sherrie!"

Sherrie shrugged. "You pitied me, didn't you?" Sherrie stood. "I hate being pitied!" Rayne-Marie ran over.

"Heather, it's the last part of that weird story, the one we read at the school in that 'Otherworld.'" She put the book on the desk in front of Heather. "I read a second part of this when I had the nightmare by myself and now it's showing me the third part."

"What are you rambling about, Rayne-Marie?" Sherrie asked coldly. Heather read the passage. Her eyes froze, glued onto the page; her mouth stayed a straight line.

"This book was read to me over and over by my mother," she muttered.

"You're mother?" Rayne asked.

Heather grabbed her head. "No, not my mother… She was my mother, but…she wasn't."

Sherrie backed away. "Oh my God! I have to get out of this room! You two are completely nuts!"

Sherrie ran to the door and tried to open it, only to find it locked. She pounded her fist into the hardwood of the door.

"Hey! Someone let me out of here!"

From behind the girls, the mirror caught their images. The image began to change. Blotchy patches appeared on their skin. Blood seeped out from the cracks in the wall. The blood spread until it covered the walls, ceiling and floor. The image of the girls bloodied as well.

"Sherrie, will you calm down!" Heather growled. "We're not crazy! Maybe if you actually acted like a friend and listened to someone in need instead of judging them, you wouldn't get so paranoid!"

Tears filled Sherrie's eyes. "I wish I never met you!" Her eyes switched from Heather to Rayne-Marie. "Either of you!"

The arguing continued as the blood seeped from the mirror image into the room. The boiling blood covered the floor, the walls and the ceiling. The desks rusted.

"You know what Sherrie? I am done with you!" Heather shouted. "You're not going to get me riled up anymore! From now on, you don't exist to me!" Sherrie backed away. Her eyes turned down.

Rayne sighed and turned away. As she did, her eyes grasped onto the sight of the room full of blood and rust.

"What's going on?" The blood crept up her legs and twirled around her torso. She twisted around to look at the girls who appeared the same. "No! What is this?" Sirens blared and darkness engulfed the room.


	10. Chapter 10: Let It Die

Chapter 10: Let It Die

Cool mist fell around Rayne-Marie as she lay on the ground. Her eyes slowly opened. Her hands pushed down on cold concrete. As she pushed herself up to her feet, she quickly glanced around the vacant street. Thick fog swallowed her.

"I'm in that Otherworld again, aren't I?" Rayne-Marie let out a long sigh. "What do you want from me?" she suddenly cried out. Her reply was the sound of her voice echoing through the lone street. She began walking, the only sound that accompanied her were the clicking of her shoes.

The road wound around until Rayne-Marie saw a sign high above her. Even in the fog, she somehow made out the words.

_Welcome to Silent Hill._

"Silent Hill?" she whispered. That name sounded familiar. She couldn't remember where she heard the name of the town at the moment. She moved further into the town. Her gaze fell on a bench set on the grass. There was a newspaper on the bench. It could have been just an ordinary newspaper and she could have easily ignored it. However, she could bring herself to walk passed the bench. Her feet stopped and her hand shot out and snatched the paper. On the front page she saw the news heading: _Negligence Behind the Wheel._

"A car swerved out of control yesterday. Forty-five year old Michael Cramer was behind the wheel with fourteen year old…Rayne-Marie Cramer in the passenger seat—"

Suddenly, screeching tires rang throughout the area. Rayne-Marie jumped around to see a red Mustang swerve and crashing into a telephone phone and toppling over numerous times. Rayne rushed towards the crashed vehicle.

As she approached the car, she saw the shattered glass along the street. She stood still as a man pulled himself out through the broken window. He slowly climbed to his feet, pushing off loose shards of glass. Cuts were visible all around his face, arms and hands. His polo shirt, pants and thick work shoes protected the rest of his body, but he still had bruises all over. Rayne-Marie's eyes popped wide open as she recognized her own father.

"Dad! You're here! You've come back!" She raced towards the man, throwing her arms around him. But her arms went through him as if he were just an image. Rayne-Marie took a step back. "D-dad…?"

The man turned back towards the wrecked car. He bolted around to the other side.

"Rayne! Rayne-Marie!" He bent down to see the girl. Her head down on the dashboard, glass stuck out of her arms and the back of her neck. The blood poured from her wounds. The man covered his mouth.

"No!" He stumbled back. "I have to call someone!" He fumbled around his shirt pocket and grabbed his cell phone. He dialed and held the phone to his ear.

"Hello? Hello! I need help! We were just in a terrible car accident! My daughter—"

Suddenly, Rayne –Marie stood in the entranceway of a hospital. Nurses and other medical staff scurried about. She turned to see her parents sitting in some seats by the wall in the waiting area. The doctor walked inside, a rather young looking woman in her early thirties.

"Mr. and Mrs. Cramer, I'm doctor Koda," she introduced herself. "Please follow me."

The doctor took them to a private room where she had them sit down.

"Here's the good news. You're daughter is going to live." Both parents sighed with relief.

"Well, that's good, right?" Michael asked. "There's no problem then.  
>Dr. Koda fixed her eyes on the couple. "Well, she's alive, but…" She took a folder from the counter. From within the brown package, she pulled out a few X-rays and put them up on the screen. There was a huge fracture in the brain, clear as day. Even someone with no medical experience could see it and know there was something wrong.<p>

"What's that?" Laureen asked a bit alarmed.

The doctor put her finger by the fracture. "There is a definite crack in her skull. It's right where neurotransmitters send blood into the brain. And…this isn't the only one. She pointed to the other X-rays. Numerous lines showed fractures all around Rayne-Marie's brain. Laureen covered her mouth.

"So, what you're saying is she has brain damage?" the mother gasped.

"I know this is hard. But, she can still talk and walk. Amazingly, she can do everything she did before. So, we're not exactly sure if there is a problem."

Michael jumped out of his seat. "Then why did you say she has brain damage? That's serious!"

"She may have brain damage. We don't know. You'll have to see if there is anything different in her daily life. Especially at school."

"You're wasting our time!" Michael said crossly. "Can we see our daughter now?"

Rayne-Marie now stood in her bedroom looking over her body. Her younger self was sleeping. Suddenly, she woke up. The harsh voices of her parent came up through the floorboards.

"What were you thinking?" Laureen stormed at her husband. "Were you showing off in that stupid sports car of yours? You could have killed our daughter!"

"But I didn't! And I wish you'd give me some credit!" he yelled back.

"Credit! You haven't worked in months! I'm the one paying the bills right now! You can't handle the real estate business and you cracked under pressure! Just admit it!"

"The only think I'll admit, is that I'm sorry for marrying an ogre like you!"

Rayne-Marie and her younger self walked to the top of the staircase. She recalled this argument happening after the school reported back to them that she barely remembered how to write. She was in high school and her reading was at a third grade level.

"My daughter was the smartest girl in her class! Now those idiots at that school are suggesting to put her in special education?" Laureen collapsed in the chair at the dinner table. Her head fell into her hands as she began to sob.

"Look, I'm sure it's not that bad," Michael tried to console her now. "You'll see. Rayne will bounce back. They just need to give her some time." He turned and left the kitchen, heading towards the stairs. Rayne-Marie ran into her room and shut the door.

A month passed from that time, then two, then three. Laureen kept Rayne-Marie out of special Ed, but she went to the resource room for help and even saw Mr. Brandson, the school psychologist on a weekly basis. Rayne-Marie sat in her history class back in ninth grade.

The students stared at her suddenly.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" she asked nervously.

"Maybe its because you're just staring off into space while I'm waiting for an answer to the question I just asked, Ms. Cramer." Rayne-Marie looked up at Mr. Banks, her history teacher.

"I…I'm sorry…what did you ask?" A few students around her snickered.

"What was the victory cry of the people after Texas won their independence? Come on Ms. Cramer, we just finished our big test on it and you supposedly got the highest score? Is there something I don't know? Did you cheat?" Rayne-Marie's mouth fell open.

"Of course not! I just—" Her head began to throb. I'm sorry…but since I got out of the hospital—"

"Maybe you should see the nurse," he said, but had no sympathy behind his voice.

As Rayne-Marie walked to the door, she turned back to see Sherrie talking to Eileen…her friend Eileen. What the hell was she thinking?

When lunchtime came around, Rayne-Marie sat at the usual table waiting for Eileen and Kaylee. Finally, she saw them approach, but they were with Sherrie.

"What are you doing?" Rayne-Marie asked Sherrie with annoyance.

Sherrie turned to Eileen, "Go ahead. Tell her!"

Eileen slowly moved her gaze to Rayne. Her eyes turned down sad at first, but then hardened.

"We can't be your friends anymore!" Eileen quickly spat out the words. Rayne-Marie returned a confused gaze at the girls.

"What are you talking?" she asked hastily.

"You heard her!" Sherrie spat out. They rather be friends with me."

"Whatever Sherrie!" Rayne responded hotly. "No one wants to be your friend!"

"Why? Because I'm fat?" she tossed back. Rayne-Marie took a good looked at Sherrie. She lost a lot of weight. She was out of school or almost a month and in that time she went from a walrus to a pretty minx.

"Maybe you're not fat, but you're still a tattle-tale and cry baby! Eileen. Kaylee. Just sit down."

"No." Kaylee said firmly. "We don't want to hang out with you. You right out embarrassed yourself in history class."

"Yeah, and you probably cheated on that test!" Sherrie accused. The girl laughed and walked away.

In present time, Rayne-Marie sat in the fog by the car.

"Did I really deserve to have my friends desert me? Then, dad—" Rayne heard the words her mother spoke to her from the past. They echoed continuously in her head.

"He killed himself! Do you know what that means? He's gone! Forever! It's you're fault you know! You insisted he drive you to the store in that terrible fog! No one else was driving at that time! Did you even notice you spoiled brat?!"

Rayne-Marie stood up now, still lost in her thoughts. What was with this town? It hurt too much. She didn't want to remember anything!

"There you are Rayne-Marie!" Rayne looked up to see Sherrie stomp towards her. "You can't get away from me!" she shouted.

Rayne nodded finally understanding. "I'm not trying to get away. This town is making me pay."

"What are you talking about? Where are we?" Sherrie's voice shook.

"Silent Hill." Rayne-Marie answered numbly. "I don't know why this town choses people, but it does. It shows them the truth about themselves. It's showing the truth about me."

"Oh really? So you know you're a liar and a cheater!"

"I didn't cheat on that test, Sherrie! Is that really what has you so upset? Or is it the fact that I teased you for being fat back in fifth grade and turned the entire class against you!" Sherrie backed up a few steps.

"Why? Why did you do all of that to me?" her voice cracked.

"I—don't know. I always had all this pressure on me to succeed. Our grades were so close. I wanted to be the top student and—you were in my way!" Sherrie kept her eyes on Rayne. "Every since the accident, I suffered brain damage and—" Emotion rose inside of Rayne-Marie. She felt her throat tighten. "Now I'm dumb okay!"

"Serves you right." Sherrie said suddenly. Rayne-Marie stared wide- eyed at Sherrie for a long moment. "Yeah, that's right! I said it! Do you want to know what I've been through? It's because of people like you that I almost took my life! I hated to look in the mirror! Do you know how that felt? You were blessed Rayne-Marie! You had friends and you were smart and cute. People in class looked up to you."

"You were smart too Sherrie. You still are," Rayne tried to calm her down.

"It didn't matter! You're family had money! You were always liked!"

"Look, I can't take back what I did, but I am sorry, Sherrie." Sherrie stared at her for a moment. Her eyes studied her and Rayne-Marie wondered if she actually would forgive her. Then Sherrie closed up her stance.

"No! It's not going to be that easy! You haven't begun to understand revenge! Revenge is justified! You can't get away with what you did!"

As Rayne-Marie watched Sherrie, her form changed. Her body became bloated. Veins bulged around her legs, arms and even her brain. Rayne-Marie felt nauseous just looking at her.

"What the hell are you?" Rayne yelled. "Get away from me!"

The monster stomped towards her. What could Rayne-Marie do? Her eyes darted around the street. The only thing she could find for a weapon was the shattered glass from the car. She ran over and grabbed a long shard, but then she realized that she would have to get closer to the monster to use it. The nausea threatened to return.

Suddenly, the monster charged at her. Rayne lost her nerve and ran towards the side of the road. She ran down the mountainside along the railing. But then, the railing stopped and nothing protected her should she lose balance and fall of the cliff-side. Rayne turned as the monster pursued her. As the monster tried to grab Rayne, she swung the long glass shard at it. The bloated hands of the monster grabbed Rayne and held her over the side of the mountain. In desperation, Rayne stabbed at the creature. The tip of the glass punctured the monster's flesh. Blood squirted out all over Rayne, but she didn't care. This thing had to die, even if she died with it. She stabbed again, the glass cut into the fiend's throat. It let her go. Rayne fell about a foot before she caught the edge of a jagged rock. Rayne looked up as the monster fell forward, plummeting down into the fog.

The monster was gone, but Rayne-Marie still had a problem. She couldn't hold on forever and she had no way of pulling herself up.

"Rayne!" Someone yelled down to her. Rayne-Marie looked up to see Heather holding her hand out to her. _Where the hell has she been?_ Rayne thought to herself. Rayne reached up and grabbed her hand. Somehow, Heather pulled her up to the roadside. The girl didn't look it, but wow, was she strong! As Rayne stared at Heather, tears welled up in her eyes. She grasped onto her and began crying her eyes out.

"Rayne," Heather said softly. "Hey, come on. We gotta get out of here."

"I'm so sorry," Rayne sobbed. Heather wiped a tear from her eye.

"Stop. Please, let's just get out of here."

The girls walked down the foggy road. As they proceeded on, the world around them changed once again. Suddenly, they were on the roof of the school. The girls stopped suddenly just as they were about to walk off the edge.

"What? Where are we?" Rayne wondered.

Heather looked down. "We're on top of the school, apparently." Then, their eyes saw someone down below. On top of box truck, lay the body of a young girl; Sherrie.


End file.
